
JC. 



W 



2« 



C.T.MIXER. 
SOLITUDE SWEETENED; 



OR, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS, 



ON VARIOUS 



RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS, 



WRITTEN IN DISTANT PARTS OF THE WORLD. 



BY JAMES MEIKLE, 

LATE SURGEON AT CARNWATH. 



Psalm cxxxix. 9, 10.— If I take the wings of the morning or 
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea ; even there shall thy 
hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 

Psalm civ. 31. — Of him my meditation shall be sweet. 



NEW-YORK : 

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JOHN H. TURNEY, 

133 East-Broadway. 
1831 



,1^4 



Jj4^ 






PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



The Meditations now offered to the public appear in conse- 
quence of the very favourable manner in which the author's 
" Select Remains" were received. They are written in the 
same style, and breathe the same spirit of ardent piety with the 
Remains ; but they embrace a greater variety of subjects, are in 
general composed with greater care, and will, the Editor is per- 
suaded, be found entitled to an equal, if not a superior degree of 
acceptance. 

The greater part of them was written in the years 1757 — 
1760, in the most unfavourable circumstances which can easily 
be conceived for study of any kind, and especially for religious 
meditation ; not, like the " Monthly Memorial," and the "Secret 
Survey," amidst the quiet and comforts of home, in the retire- 
ment of the country, and during the intervals of leisure from the 
regular duties of his profession ; but at sea, amidst the noise, and 
bustle, and confusion of a man of war. A book written during 
hostilities, on board a ship of war, may be considered as a litera- 
ry curiosity ; but this is perhaps the first book of devotion ever 
composed in such circumstances. It may justly excite surprise, 
how the good man could find opportunity, or command compo- 
sure of mind, in the cock-pit of the Portland, for writing not 
only the greater part of the present volume, but another series of 
Meditations, entitled, The Traveller : and it must be particu- 
larly pleasing to pious minds, to observe his steadfastness in the 
faith unshaken, and the ardor of his devotion undiminished, du- 
ring a period of several years spent in a state of exclusion from 
the ordinances of religion, and in the society of persons ignorant 
of God. How "his righteous soul was vexed from day to day, 
in seeing and hearing, with their unlawful deeds," and to what 
ridicule he was exposed from his ungodly companions, on ac- 
count of his religion, are apparent from many expressions in his 
meditations ; yet he persevered in his course, frequently seized, 
when other opportunities failed, the mid-night hour for prayer 
and meditation, and* "out of the belly of hell cried unto his 
God." / 

Two manuscripts have been found of the meditations compos- 
ed at sea, both written by the author's own hand. The first, 
which is the original draught, and which, owing to the rolling of 
the ship, and other inconveniences of his situation, is not very 



IV PREFACE. 

legible, is entitled by him, " A Mirror to the Sen's of Affliction., 
by one who finds by experience, that it is better to go to the 
house of mourning than the house of mirth." — The second, 
which has been chiefly followed in this edition, is a transcript of 
the former, but in a fairer hand, and with such corrections as 
occurred to the author in his progress. This he appears to have 
begun in the year 1769, some time after his settlement in Carn- 
wath ; and having altered the title to that which the volume now 
bears, continued to add, during the remainder of his life, such 
meditations as appeared to him to correspond with the general 
title, 

In a note prefixed to the manuscript, the Author says, "Fond 

of being at sea, he engaged to go in a ship that had a long 

voyage in view ; but the scheme misgave, which gave him pain, 
and made him write Med. XT. The disappointment fumea* out 
a peice of kindness. O how blind is man ! O how kind is hea- 
ven ! In the Royal Navy, in time of war, he wrote several of 
them. A groundless slander, hurtful to him, though not of an 
immoral nature, was the occasion of his writing Med. XVIII. 
As what has happened to him may befal others, he hopes these 
few meditations, written for his own use, may be useful and ac- 
ceptable to serious souls." 

The Editor, entertaining the same hopes, recommends them 
to the blessing of God, and to the acceptance of the saints. He 
hopes that the reception of the present volume will give encour- 
agement to the speedy publication of the other series of Medita- 
tions, styled, The Traveller ; to which, if God will, shall be 
prefixed, a memoir of the Author's life, collected chiefly from the 
numerous manuscripts which he has left behind him. 

JAMES PEDDIK 

Edinburgh, > 

Nw. 25, 1803. 5 



SOLITUDE SWEETENED. 



MEDITATION I. 

ON MEDITATION. 

The heavenly meditant has the happiest life in the 
world, and the most enriching commerce with the ce- 
lestial Indres, from whence he returns loaden with an 
unseen store of immortal joy, and spiritual consolation. 
As he continues to meditate on the great things of 
God, such amazing plenitudes are displayed before his 
eye, that he finds in the divine fulness sufficient sub- 
jects for meditation through eternity itself. Medita- 
tion, like the spies sent from Israel in the wilderness, 
returns with a good account of the good land, presents 
some of the fruits of paradise, and produces refresh- 
ing grapes pulled from the true Vine. Here the wea- 
ry soul retires to rest in the bosom of the promise, in 
the love of God, in spite of all surrounding troubles ; 
and drinks at the river before the throne, which makes 
her forget her miseries, as waters that flow away. O 
the high estate of the sons of God in meditation ! They 
walk in the fields of glory, associate with the angels of 
light, and hold communion with God himself. Thus 
having been in the mount with God, their soul is beau- 
tified ; thus, their face shines, and their conversation 
seems as if in heaven, nobly opposing the base prac- 
tices of the men of the world. 

O my soul ! while mortals are combating for crowns 
below, meditate thou on thy crown above ; view the 
beauties of the better country ; ruminate on the hap- 
piness of the inhabitants there ; think on the fulness 
1* 



6 aOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

of heavenly glory : talk of the love of God, and dwell 
on the adorable excellencies of the divine Redeemer. 
This work is its own reward, and assimilates the soul 
to " the bright and morning Star." — Be ashamed 
henceforth to occupy thyself in meditating how to 
raise thy fortune, how to make thyself famous, and 
how to plan thy lot in the world ; this last commit to 
God, and cast the rest away : but let him whose fa- 
vour is better than life, be the object of thy love, and 
the subject of thy meditations ! Thus shalt thou begin 
heaven, anticipate bliss, and prepare for eternity and 
glory. 



MEDITATION II. 

CHRIST THE ROCK IN THE WEARY LAND. 

Let the travellers through the parched desarts of Ara- 
bia, tell how comforting the shadow of a cloud is, that 
diminishes the heat in a dry place. Let the travel- 
ling companies of Dedanim tell what it is to hide their 
scorched shoulders from the burning sun in the sha- 
dow of a rock. How much greater reason have I to 
boast of my Rock ! for their rock is not as our rock, 
even our enemies themselves being judges. — From his 
pierced side the fountain of life flows, that pours re- 
freshment into my panting soul. Here I have not on- 
ly shadow from the heat, but shelter from the storm, 
when the blast of the terible one is as a storm against 
the wall. 

What is firmer than a rock ? Winds may rend the 
cedars of Lebanon, and tear them up by their roots : 
but here the tempests beat, and are baffled ; the bil- 
lows dash, and are broken ; time hovers, and corrodes 
not the flinty mass. Nevertheless, that they are not 
proof against every invasion from destruction and ruin. 
For see, the enraged thunders rend their towering 
tops, and angry earthquakes toss them from their 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 7 

seats, while the earth beneath opens fearful, and hides 
the ponderous heaps. But my rock shall stand fast 
for ever, when the foundations of the earth are moved, 
and the pillars of heaven tremble. There shall I be 
safe, when the hail shall sweep away the refuges of lies ; 
yea, when God shall rain on sinners, snares, fire, and 
brimstone, in the furious storm of wrath, I shall 
sing in safety, being an inhabitant of the Rock of ages, 
from which I never shall remove. No wonder, then, 
that the saint of God shout for joy, being an inhab- 
itant on high, and having for his place of defence the 
munition of rocks. Sometimes, indeed, the blind world 
is ready to allege, that their rock has sold them, and 
that if God were their God, surely he would awake 
for them ; and in this they are strengthened, .when 
they see martyrs guarded, through bemoaning crowds, 
to execution ; some to the gibbet, and others to the 
sea-mark ; some to the rack, and others to the fire ; 
but then their divine Comforter invisibly attends, and 
he, whose form is like the son of God, walks with them 
amidst the fire, and fans away the flame. This is the 
rock from which I am filled with honey, the Rock 
that pours me out rivers of oil. 

Do rocks defend me from blasts, from whatever 
quarter they blow ? So does my rock. Is the blast 
from hell ? Well, he has the keys of hell and of death. 
— Is it from sin ? He is my righteousness. — Is it from 
Satan ? He has conquered principalities and powers. 
Is it from afflictions ? He is my sympathizing and 
feeling High Priest. — Is it from losses ? He is my 
exceeding great reward. — Is it from crosses ? He 
makes all things work together for good to his people. 
Is it from anguish ? He is my joy.— Is jt from dark- 
ness ? He is my Sun. — Is it from doubts ? He is my 
Counsellor. — Is it from deadness ? He is my life. — 
Is it from enemies ? He is my shield. — Is it from 
temptation ? He is my deliverer. — Is it from false 



8 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OB, 

friends ? He will never leave me, nor forsake me. — 
Is it from solitude or banishment ? He is every where 
present. — Is it from disease ? He is my healer. — Is it 
from death ? He is the resurrection and the life. — O 
glorious refuge ! O sure defence ! O everlasting mu- 
nition ! Here do I defy the worst that earth and hell 
can do. Henceforth will I tabernacle, my faith in the 
Man that is made of God an hiding place from the storm, 
a covert from the tempest, and as the shadow of a great 
rock in a weary land, till every blast blow over, not a 
threatening cloud appear in my sky, but my heaven be 
beautified with everlasting day, and the air in which I 
breathe be swept of every storm. 



MEDITATION III. 

IF GOD GIVE CHRIST, WHAT CAN HE WITHHOLD. 

1757. 

Are believers in the valley of tears,? Is their dwel- 
ling place Bochim and Hadadrimmon ? Well, mercy 
outstretches all their misery, promises of grace dispel 
the mental gloom, and bear away the ponderous loads 
of grief, and the soft handkerchief of love wipes off 
the furrowing tear ; while an inspired penman begins 
the glorious sentence with an unanswerable How : 
«* If God spared not his own son, but delivered him up 
to the death for us all, how shall he not also with him 
give us all things V Comfort, then, ye sons of sor- 
row ; comfort my soul; there is more in this verse 
than can be comprehended ; and there is more love 
in the heart of God, than any language, or idiom of 
speech, can convey to finite creatures. 

If, for my sake, he has given his Son, what will he 
withhold in all the creation ? Is the breath of his 
mouth better to him than his eternal, co-essential Son? 
Is the work of his hands dearer to him than his Well- 
beloved bosom Son ? And has he given him to the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 9 

death for thee, and yet will deny thee the use of 
these ? No : He that feeds the soul with heavenly 
manna, will support the body with daily bread. — He 
that gives to drink out of the wells of salvation, will 
not fail to afford a cup of cold water. He that hath 
provided a robe of righteousness, that the shame of 
my nakedness do not appear, will also give wool in 
the season thereof. He that harnesses mine inner 
man with all the armour of God, will put a covering 
on my head in the day of battle and war.* He that, 
in the counsel of peace, from eternity, secured my 
peace, will also shine upon my counsel, and make me 
decree a thing which shall come to pass. He that 
hath written my name among the living in Jerusalem, 
will also preserve (this my faith pleads and expects) 
my character, that I shall not shame what I profess in 
the world. He that hath destroyed spiritual death, 
will also for me unsting natural death, and spoil the 
grave of its victory. 

Again, how can it be possible that God should give 
his Son, himself, his all, and yet deny me any thing ? 
Will not he that is to crown me with glory above r 
strengthen me with grace below ? Will he not bless 
me with peace of mind, who is to be my peace for 
ever ? Triumph, O my faith ! all things are Christ's, 
and Christ is God's ; and God and Christ, and all 
things, are thine. Time is his, and in it I have my 
numbered years ; the air is his, and in it I breathe ; 
the world, and on it I dwell ; its fulness, and I am fed ; 
grace is his, and in it I stand ; faith, and by it I over- 
come the world ; tribulations are from him, and in 
them I glory ; perfection is his, and towards it I press ; 
death is his, and by it I arrive at home ; heaven is his, 
and there is my mansion ; eternity is his, and there is 
my treasure and glory. 

* At this time the author had a view of entering into the navy, 
being time of war, as he did some time after. 



10 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

MEDITATION IV. 

SUBMISSION. 

Will any, or will I, pretend to teach the Most 
High, knowledge, seeing he is excellent in working, 
and perfect in his ways ? Then, since I cannot direct 
him, why am not I submissive to his disposal ? Can I 
predict events, or forsee futurities ? No : how then 
should I promise myself serenity from a cloudless sky ? 
or fear storms from an obscured heaven ? when, as to 
the first, the gathering meteors may suspend an unex- 
pected umbra before the sun, and draw a liquid cur- 
tain round the sky ; or, as to the second, the gather- 
ed clouds may scatter, and let the welcome beams re- 
fresh the weary world. So, Lord, as from present 
appearances future contingences cannot be discerned, 
it is my duty, and shall be my study, to be wholly, 
fully, and for ever, at thy disposal, to whom all 
thy works, all my purposes, and all my wanderings, 
are known from the beginning. 

O ! how the child of God should glory in his choos- 
ing out for him the lot of his inheritance, and be con- 
tent with that condition which heaven accounts best 
for him, though not the grandest or greatest, not 
the richest or happiest ; yea, not that state the most 
desired. I am not mine own, for I am bought with 
a price, and dearly paid for too (so to speak.) Would 
it not seem too daring in me to instruct God how to 
garnish the heavens, how to set the sun, station the 
moon, place the poles, plant the fixed stars, and guide 
the wandering planets ? Now, I am as much his by 
right, (yea, in the ties of love, more) and as much 
at his disposal, as any of these his other creatures ; 
and if I cannot complain of his conduct with these, 
why quarrel at his providences towards me ? But 
another thing which ought to encourage to submis- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 1 1 

aion, is, that God's way is not only equitable in itself, 
but profitable for his people, for the latter end of the 
righteous is peace ; and the end of the Lord is al- 
ways gracious to his afflicted ones, who chooses in 
the furnace of affliction, brings light out of darkness, 
order out of confusion, real good out of seeming 
evil ; and, finally, brings through fire and water to a 
wealthy place. 



MEDITATION V. 

COMFORTABLE CONCLUSIONS. 

Dear Saviour, in thy sufferings I not only see the 
infiniteness of sin, but also the infiniteness of thy love ; 
so that though I have cause with myself to be angry 
on account of sin, I need not despair, if the desert of 
my folly be death, the merit of thy sufferings is life. 
If my sins mount up to heaven, thy mercy is above 
the heavens. Though they reach to the very throne 
to accuse me, there is One upon the throne that will 
not condemn me. They, in their seven-fold abomi- 
nations, can rise no higher than the throne, but the 
rainbow of redeeming love and grace is both about 
and above the throne, and that in its seven-fold beau- 
ties, power, wisdom, justice, goodness, holiness, mer- 
cy, and truth. And as all the different rays meet in 
one glorious beam of light, so all the attributes, all 
the perfections of God, are summed up in love, who 
is graciously pleased to be called by it as his favourite 
name, " God is love !" By the mingling rays of this 
beautious bow, all my blackness is removed, and I am 
clothed with beauty. 

When I look to myself, and see my vileness and 
wants, 1 am confounded with shame ; but when I look 
to thee, and see thy fulness and all-sufficiency, I am 
confounded with wonder! — Am I weak? He is my 
strength.— Am I foolish ? He is made of God wis- 

\ 



12 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OE, 

dom to me.— Am I wicked ? He is made my righ- 
teousness. — Am I impure ? He is made my sanctify 
cation. — Am I in bondage ? He is made my com- 
plete redemption. — Am I in misery ? From him ten- 
der mercy flows. — Do I falsify? Yet his promise is 
the very truth. — In a word, am I enmity itself? Then 
he is love itself that passes understanding. Mine is 
but the enmity of a creature, but his love is the love 
of God. 

Sin may raise the tempest of wrath, but can do no 
more ; but Christ not only calms the raging tempest, 
but gives peace of conscience, flowing from intima- 
tions of peace with God, and makes me heir of all 
things ; so where sin hath abounded, grace much 
more abounds ; where misery hath surrounded me? 
mercy hath crowned me. Sin is too strong for me, 
but thy grace is too strong for sin. Why, then, so 
vexed with fears, doubts, and unbelief? Because I 
am sinful ? On that very account, Christ, who knew 
no sin, was made sin, that I, who knew no righteous- 
ness, might be made the righteousness of God in him. 
— But I am a great sinner. Then, he is a Saviour, 
and a great One. Where is boasting now, soul ? — 
See, that it is great mercy in God, great merit in 
Christ, that saves a great sinner. Since rich and free 
grace builds the temple of salvation, let it bear all the 
glory. — But I fall often into the same sin. That is 
my failing, over which I ought to mourn, and by which 
I should be driven out of all conceit with mine own 
holiness, high attainments, and religious duties, and 
cry, with tears of holy joy, Grace, grace to him that 
has laid the foundation, carries on the fabric of re- 
demption, and will, with shouting, bring forth the 
copestone. — Now, law, what hast thou to do with 
me? Turn thee over to my surety, Jesus. O curse ! 
thou hast lighted on his head, that the blessing might 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 13 

rest on mine ! The brandished sword of justice is 
beat into the pruning-hook of the promise, that I may 
even plead justice for the blessing, as well as the per- 
formance of the promise. 

Though once I durst not lift mine eyes heavenward, 
for fear of divine wrath, yet now I may ctfme boldly 
to the throne of grace, and claim the blessings of his 
purchase. 

In fine, it is the interest of the Son of God that I 
be saved. Though he had no concern for my immor- 
tal soul, yet he is jealous over his own glory, and will 
not cast his honour away, the honour of his equity, 
the honour of his love, the honour of his merits, and 
the honour of his word of promise, all which are con- 
cerned in my salvation. Nothing could hinder him 
to love me ; what then shall make him hate me, see- 
ing his love is stronger than death ? He loved me 
when I was in a state of enmity ; and now, when I 
am reconciled, will he be angry with me, now when 
I love him who first loved me ? His love found me 
when I was wandering from him ; and will he abandon 
me now when I am looking after him that seeth me ? 
When I was altogether sin, he had mercy on me ; and 
will he now take vengeance upon me, when I am 
mourning over sin, and grieved that I offend him ? I 
had no claim, no qualification, that could cause his 
love to descend on me, and abide with me ; but love, 
in sovereignty, visited me, and in sovereignty will dwell 
with me forever ; and though I sin his presence away, 
I shall never sin away his love, nor his presence alto- 
gether ; for he shall appear the second time without 
sin imputed, and deliver me from sin inherent. Then, 
sin may be my burden, but shall not be my bane. 
Yet shall I never willingly let the traitor rest in my 
breast, that would persuade all my soul into rebellion 
against my dearest Lord, and best friend. I may have 

2 



14 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

continual war with the invader, but shall obtain the 
victory at last ; meanwhile, I will grieve more for of- 
fending him whose name is Love, by my sin, than for 
the desertions, doubts, clouds, afflictions, and chastise- 
ments that may thereby seize me. 

Now, with the arms of my faith, I clasp about the 
promise, and about him in the promise ; then, where- 
fore should unbelief, like the officious servant of the 
man of God, come near to thrust me away ? Here 
will T live, and here will I die, blessing God, who 
causeth me always to triumph in Jesus Christ my 
Lord. 



MEDITATION VL 

RESIGNATION. 

What I most desired thou hast denied, yet I praise 
thee : On what account, I know not, yet I praise thee v 
Thou hast done it : that silences me. Thy will makes 
it indisputable, and renders it my indispensable duty 
to fall in with it. Hitherto I have had no complaint 
on the conduct of providence ; nor shall I complain 
till all the mazes are explained. Do then, all thy 
counsel, though all my counsels should come to nought. 
Can he expect favours from God, that will not wait 
God's way and time ? 

But what matters it how the affairs of a present 
world go, if the interests of the next world are secur- 
ed ? The weathercock is whirled about with every 
blast, but the iron spire is still at rest, and it is alike 
to it from what point the wind blows, because it can- 
not be displaced. So what avails it though the out- 
ward man decay, if the inner man grow ? though the 
temporal condition be perplexed, if the conscience 
be possessed of spiritual peace ? I praise thee that 
thou interposest thy providence, even in disappointing 
my enterprises ; and dost not give me up to the blind 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 15 

desires of mine own heart, and to wander at random 
in counsels of mine own. I can resolve the present 
case into nothing but thy will ; yet I rejoice more to 
fall in with thy will, and to be submissive to thy dispo- 
sal, than to have ray will in every point performed. 
This is the only way in my private capacity that I can 
glorify thee. 

If all things went as I would, I could not positively 
learn the care of God ; but when providence, beyond 
all human probability, twists enterprises out of my 
hands, and well-resolved designs out of my heart, this 
conduct clearly shows to me thy condescending con- 
cern about my lot and life. Thus thou takest the 
wise in their own craftiness ; for when all my schemes 
were so well laid, that human policy approved of, and 
wit itself commended ; yet, when thou didst blow 
upon them, how did they, like rainbows painted on the 
watery clouds, when thunders break, or boisterous 
winds attack, scatter into disappointments and pain 1 
Hence, in the school of providence I am taught some 
lessons: 1. Not to look to the appearance of things, 
but to the power of God, who brings light out of 
darkness, and calls the things that be not, as though 
they were. 2. That from probabilities impossibilities 
may spring, while apparent impossibilities dissolve 
into easy escapes. As for the first, it was very prob- 
able that the Egyptians might overtake and put Israel 
to the sword, yet it became impossible for them to 
do it. And as for the second, it seemed impossible 
that Israel could escape ruin, when inclosed with in- 
surmountable hills, and swelling seas, and pursued 
by enraged foes ; yet, in what an easy way did they 
walk to their deliverance ! 3. I am taught to believe, 
and to give glory to the almighty power of God, when 
impossibilities throng thick before me. 4. To see 
mine own finite wisdom to be but folly, that 1 can 



16 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

neither prevent nor foresee those events which I would 
not incline should come. 5. To hold all my mercies, 
all my privileges from God, and not from the certainty 
in which they seem to stand. 6. Not to think that 
things are lost, when so they seem, as I am taught by 
experience, that when I think I am most sure of some 
things, they are all on a sudden rapt from me ; so 
when lost, they can all of a sudden be restored. And, 
lastly, to see the mutable and fickle state of temporal 
things, and therefore to hold a loose gripe of the crea- 
ture, however dear, however near, and to set my af- 
fections on things that are above. 



MEDITATION VII. 

FEEBLE NATURE. 

Oh ! how do I groan in this body of clay, this clog 
of humanity ! When I would serve God with glad- 
ness, feeble nature hinders me ; my strength is ex- 
hausted, and I must be again refreshed with sleep. — 
Though grace had not sin to fight against, it has in- 
firmity to struggle with ; and I have no way of get- 
ting comfort under my calamities of this kind, which 
are so many, but by beholding with the eye of faith, 
through the prospect of revelation, the glories of the 
world above, when this mortal shall put on immor- 
tality, and death shall be swallowed up, of life. There 
my weary eyes shall never seek to be refreshed with 
sleep, amidst the engaging glories of the higher 
house ! The mirth of this world, like an enchantress, 
lulls men asleep to everlasting destruction; but the 
songs of the inner temple rouse to all eternity. With 
the strength of an angel shall I step along the hills of 
glory, and walk over the paradise of God. With 
greater ease shall I go on with the highest acts of 
adoration, than here give over the ordinary acts of de- 
votion ; for it shall be life to my soul, and vigour to 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 17 

all my powers, to be so employed ! — There he that 
pours the new wine into the saints, capacitates, 
strengthens, and supports the soul, to receive the 
eternal weight of glory. Meditation shall never tire 
my thoughts, in tracing all the mazes of redeeming 
love! Everlasting hallelujahs shall dwell on my 
tongue ; and how shall I improve in the song above, 
while I rest not day or night to sing, 4t Worthy is the 
Lamb that was slain, to receive glory, and honour, 
blessing and power, dominion and praise, for ever 
and ever." There the uninterrupted vision of him, 
to whom when I see him I shall be assimilated, shall 
strengthen mine eyes, that they shall be able to re- 
ceive the images of all the celestial glories. No 
weariness there, where the exercise renders happy. 
No weakness, where Jehovah is my strength. No 
want of subject, where the Lord God and the Lamb 
are my song! Oh ! shall I be able to sing over God 
through eternity ? To sing his being and attributes, 
his love and his mercy, his righteousness and truth, 
even a whole God, and a full glory ; a consummate 
happiness, and a continual enjoyment? 

Well then, what though the hours of time steal 
from me unknown? I rejoice that I shall not lose one 
moment through weariness, while eternity rolls. Oh! 
may I improve this to prepare for that ; for if eternity 
is not secured ere time be spent I am undone in both. 
Roll on, thou day of love, to perfect strength in 
my weakness, and crown a poor expectant with eter- 
nal glory. 



MEDITATION VIII. 

WORLDLY LOSSES AND MISFORTUNES UNIVERSAL. 

Convene, ye mournful throng, and vent your drea- 
ry moans ; muster all your complaints, and recite 
the causes of your sorrow. Then hear royalty itself 

9* 



1 3 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

break silence first, in the melancholy list, and tell in 
tears (but dares distress attack the throne, and sorrow 
gloom within the palace-walls ?) how courtiers prove 
perfidious, and rebellious subjects would drive him 
from his throne! hew his faithful armies fly, or fall 
before the foe ! while his fleets increase at once his 
sorrow and the enemies' spoil. Sorrow has a lodging 
taken in every brow, from the king to the beggar ; 
and at one time or other, we may expect to see the 
lodging possessed by all the gloomy train. Hence 
see one sad, under the loss of his honour and reputa- 
tion ; another meeting with disappointments instead 
of preferments ; another seldom out of mourning, so 
fast his relations die around him. Some have neither 
son nor grand-son in the street, daughter nor grand- 
daughter in the house. There the affectionate wife has 
lost the husband of her youth ; and here the disconso- 
late mourner has interred his lovely spouse. Here so 
many needy pensioners are real mourners at the 
burial of their benefactors, who can be no more con- 
cerned for them ; there a tender family are weeping 
at the grave of both parents. Here the packet from 
the distant Indies, brings the melancholy account of 
father, son, or brother's death, who was long expect- 
ed home, but now shall return no more ; there the 
list of the slain on the day of battle, fills many a sad 
heart with sorrow. Here a sudden misfortune snatch- 
es one away in the bloom of hfe ; there another is 
slain by the bloody ruffian. Here the tender suck- 
ling dies unseen in the silent night ; and there the 
pretty boy perishes in the water. Here the devour- 
ing flame robs a man of his all, while some of the in. 
habitants are consumed in the burning ; there the 
fierce tempest sends the merchant's treasure into the 
depths of the sea, and the crew go down together. — 
Here the barren wife longs to embrace a son ; an4 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 19 

there another bitterly bewails that ever her's was 
born. Here one loses his good name innocently, 
and has no method to clear it till the day of judg- 
ment ; and there peace is taken away from them that 
should live in daily harmony. Here some are op- 
pressed with pinching want ; there others with pining 
sickness. Some are banished their native country ; 
others condemned to perpetual imprisonment. Some 
are deformed from their mother's womb ; others lose 
their limbs by accidents. There sits the blind, beg- 
ging, while the lame is carried from door to door. — 
Of some God has tied the tongue, that it cannot 
speak ; of others stopt the ear, that it cannot hear. 
There some deprived of reason, neither rest them- 
selves nor suffer those around them to rest, while 
their case is melancholy above description. In a 
word, what losses and crosses, sorrows and distresses, 
uncertainties and anxieties, do mankind labour un- 
der ! The wisdom that is from above, will lead me 
to expect nothing but vanity and vexation below. — 
But, O ! how happy is the soul that has all his trea- 
sure in heaven, all his happiness in God ? May this 
be my case, and then I shall triumph in the midst of 
losses, distresses, diappointments, and pain. 



MEDITATION IX. 

PROVIDENCE. 

How manifold are the mercies of God, and how 
surprising the scene of adorable Providence! Here 
wheels revolve within a wheel, and all the glorious 
spokes are full of flaming eyes, signifying omniscience 
and wisdom. Seeming contradictions just conduce 
to bring about the longed-for blessing. Were all 
things silent, providence aloud proclaims a God ; and 
to the observing eye, the government of the world in 
general, and of men and their affairs of life in particu- 



20 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

lar, is not less beautiful, is not less surprising, than 
the creation. What mighty mountains are removed, 
what stupendous difficulties are dissolved, that a plain 
and easy passage may be prepared for the approach- 
ing good ! O how is my soul delighted with the back- 
look into my life, and ravished with the sweet survey 
of the conduct of Providence ! All mercies are benign 
and comforting; but O how do some exceedingly 
surprise ! when I behold the instrument or hand by 
which, the way and manner how, and the time when 
they came. Have I not seen it from a hand I ex- 
pected nothing from, in a way and manner I never 
could have contrived, and at a time when least ap- 
parent ? Has not holy providence written a blank on 
my wisdom and prudence, in baffling my enterprises, 
rendering my endeavours abortive, and bringing my 
counsel to nought, that he alone might be exalted ? — 
And then, in a way out of my view, foreign to my 
expectation, and without my endeavours, granted the 
very same request I had sought ? Sometimes seem- 
ing contradictions vex the poor expectant, though 
only sent to exercise his faith in God, and patience 
for the performance of the promise. I have also 
seen disappointments multiplied. Disappointments 
not only bring about, but beautify the blessing. Some- 
times providence has hindered me to embrace an offer- 
ed favour, when I knew not how or why, that to 
my greater advantage it might be afterwards bestowed. 
Thy path, thou Governor of men and angels ! is 
in the mighty waters, and thy footsteps are not known ; 
for who can know the ways of him who is wonderful 
in working ? Therefore I approve his conduct, admire 
his goodness, and where I cannot see his end, am silent 
and adore. 



JIISCELLANI0U3 MEDITATIONS. 2 1 



MEDITATION X. 

TRUE GREATNESS. 

Many are reckoned great by the world, and are of- 
ten envied by their inferiors, who are yet ignorant of 
what renders a man truly great. A* courtier, as Ahi- 
thophel, a prince, as Haman, and a king, as Belshaz- 
zar, may be mean and sordid persons ; for often in the 
highest stations the basest of men are set up. Coaches 
and chariots ; horses and hounds ; many servants, and 
a numerous retinue ; a sumptuous table, and fine appa- 
rel ; high titles, and honourary posts ; great friends, 
and noble blood; rich connexions, and immense 
wealth, do not constitute true greatness. It is not 
getting a staff in the field, or a flag in the fleet, being 
made secretary of state, or sent ambassador to foreign 
courts, that will render one great. It is not strength 
of body, natural courage, liberal education, bright 
parts, or sparkling genius, that can make a truly great 
man. Hence this seeming contradiction, yet sterling 
truth, Great men are not always great. Are there, 
then, great men any where to be found ? Yes, though 
they attract not much notice or regard of men. The 
holy, humble, self-denied soul, is such ; — he that lives 
above the things of time, and has his meditation on 
God, and the things of the invisible world ; that is 
pleased with a little of the good things of time — can 
forgive enemies — pass by affronts — forget injuries — 
repay hatred with love — rejoice in tribulation — triumph 
in faith — have rule over his own spirit — mourn for the 
sins of the times — weep over his want of conformity 
to God's law — tremble at his threatenings — depend on 
the promises — bewail his omissions — repent daily of 
his sin, wrestle in prayer, and prevail with God, and, 
Enoch-like, have his conversation in heaven, and walk 



22 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

with God :— This is he that is truly great in the eye of 
angels, in the eye of God. 




MEDITATION XL 

DISAPPOINTMENTS. 

July, 1757. 

How uncertain are our best founded expectations 
from created things ? Nothing seemingly more sure ; 
the time when, the place where, and the manner 
how, designs were to be put in execution, being set by 
the agreement and concurrence of every one concern- 
ed ! And yet, in the event, nothing more unsure ! O 
irresistible Providence ! How dost thou laugh at the 
folly of man, whose purblind eye sees nothing to 
change the face of things, till by an unexpected revo- 
tion, and severe discipline, he is made to know his fal- 
libility and blindness ! O foolish heart of man, to be 
fond of this or that to excess ! Thou seest the begin- 
ning of a matter, but not the end ; thou beholdest the 
outer wheel of providence, but considerest not there 
is an inner wheel, even a wheel in the middle of a 
wheel, which produces scenes unobserved before, 
scenes which finite wisdom never could invent. 

Perhaps the present disappointment, though great 
and unexpected, is a kind one,* could I with patience 
wait and see the issue ; and, beyond dispute, it is a 
just one ; " for shall not the righteous Judge of all the 
earth do right ?" 

But is my disappointment in the most momentuous 
things, or only in matters of inferior concern ? Have 
I got a message from the court of Heaven, that there 
is no salvation for me there ? no mercy at the throne ? 
no peace to be expected from him that sits thereon ? 
No, no. Then what ails me ? Is not eternal felicity 

* Such it was, indeed, is the author's reflection, in 1778, on the 
particular disappointment to which he alludes^ 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 



23 



secured, a noble panacea, and sufficient antidote 
against the heaviest misfortunes of a deceitful world? 
What avail a faithless flatterer, a falsifying friend, a 
violated promise, a mob of backbiters, disappointment 
of a place, a worldly loss, a broken purpose, a thwart- 
ed enterprise, expectation vain, and hope, though a 
long expectant, in the issue bringing forth nothing but 
wind ? What avail all these, in comparison of the 
everlasting interests of my immortal soul ? But, if 
these afflictions make me miserable, shall I make my- 
self more miserable still, by handling the coals that 
burn me, and reading over the register of my misfor- 
tunes, which will be forgot in eternity, as the waters 
that flow away. How, then, shall I antedate eterni- 
ty, and anticipate the felicity of the world to come, 
but by forgetting my miseries in the triumph of faith ? 

Moreover, these many turnings, and stupendous 
meanders of my life, are all squared by the straight 
line of the decree of God, with whom nothing is 
crooked. The seeming gaps of my lot are but the 
fulfilment of Heaven's design concerning me, and my 
repeated disappointments are only the accomplishment 
of the counsel of God. 

Besides, who can tell what Heaven has in reserve 
for me ? It is good to wait on God, and expect good 
at his hand. " Ah !" says unbelief, " nothing at pre- 
sent appears." Hush ! thou atheistical monster, wilt 
thpu limit Omnipotence, or allege, that infinite wis- 
dom is nonplussed, and Almighty power not able to 
perform ? I shall yet see his kindness large as my 
faith, and his mercy measure with my widest expec- 
tations. May I never get the desire of my heart but 
with God's blessing, nor the request of my lips but 
with his good will. 

This is, indeed, consolation to me, that no sinister 
views stare ghastly in my face, when so many strug- 



24 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

gling thoughts pass through my suffering heart. If 
my sin be a sin of ignorance, pardon me, and show 
me wherefore thou contendest with me. — But, per- 
haps my heart was too much set on my favourite de- 
sire, which, though lawful in itself, might by that be- 
come unlawful. So iEsop hugged his child to death, 
out of too much fondness. Then let me keep within 
the due bounds of esteem henceforth to every thing 
below, and take a loose hold of all earthly things, that 
when they are twisted out of my hand, they may not 
torment my heart. 

But why disquieted, my soul ? Why uneasy still ? 
Recall thy past life, and lay it down before thee, and 
mark, if thou canst, when thou hadst any reason to 
complain of Heaven's procedure toward thee. Have 
not things, which, at their first appearance, seemed 
adverse like this, turned out at last for good ? Say, 
when thou reviewest the whole, say, if thou darest, if 
ever God dealt ill with thee ! No ; every providence 
will prove the contrary ; every mercy will aver it ; 
yea, every change of life, every crook of lot will seal 
it. 

But, seeing this is thy work, O God ! the effect of 
thine ever-equal will, I ought not only to be dumb, but 
rejoice in it, and be glad in what thou hast wrought, 
however it appear to me, and wonder that thou shouldst 
concern thyself with me, so as to disappoint my igno- 
rant designs (such may my schemes, plans, and enter- 
prises be.) Hence I bless thee for all that befals me, 
if I have not a sinful hand in it ; and if I have, I plead 
for pardon through Christ's meritorious name. 

Now, I rest, and am composed, and calmly wait on 
thee, resigned to Heaven's determination, in every 
thing concerning me in time, till I arrive at that bet- 
ter country, at that perfect state, where there is nei- 
ther disappointment nor pain. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 25 



MEDITATION XII. 

EXPERIENCE. 

How good is it to wait on God, and bode kindness 
at his hand! When hope is gone, and all endeavours 
rendered useless, his watchful providence grants me 
my request, opens a door for me, and does all that I 
desire. O how I admire the kindness of his love, and 
the wise disposal of his providence ! When disap- 
pointments thronged thick upon me, I knew not what 
to think, or what to do ; but through thy grace, I 
waited for thy counsel, and have not waited in vain. 
Thy time, thy way, thy method, are the best, who 
clearly seest through dark scenes, and knowest my 
frame, and better what suits it, than the deepest pe- 
netration of my heart ever can. 

Now, when I have for many years, as it were, tried 
the dispensation of providence, what have I to say 
against it ? Nothing. For, what at first appeared 
dark and intricate, in a little was clear and intelligi- 
ble ; yea, sometimes that scene which seemed most 
gloomy on the outer wheel, when the inner wheel re- 
volved, shone most glorious, even to astonishment ; 
so that, what has in the beginning extorted despond- 
ing thoughts from me, has in the end excited me to 
songs of praise. 

In the part of my life that is already past, and in 
the scenes of providence that are already cleared up, 
I cheerfully confess, and sing, He hath done all things 
well. This is confirmed to me by the experience of 
many years ; so that I may blush, when I see some of 
the mysteries of Providence in part unriddled, that 1 
have had such low apprehensions of the love and 
goodness of God, measuring his wisdom by my shal- 
low comprehension, his power by my cramped span, 
his love by my unbelief} his goodness by my evil eye, 
3 



26 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

and his ways with me by my ways with him ; yea, I 
have been base enough, in every new scene of provi- 
dence, to fall anew into the same sin, and subject my- 
self anew unto the same shame and blushing. 

4< Experience is the schoolmaster of fools," says 
the proverb ; but what a fool must I be, who will not 
be instructed by all I have seen ! Or why should I 
have one hard thought of the circumstances with 
which I am at present entangled ? Though in many 
things I have yet the dark, and not the bright side of 
the cloud towards me, yet I should not have the least 
hard conclusion on the conduct of unerring Provi- 
dence, but wait till it be accomplished, and cleared up 
to me. But how shall I blush (were it possible) and 
be confounded at my mean thoughts of God and his 
providence, when the wandering labyrinth that com- 
posed my life shall be unriddled in the noon-day of 
glory, to my unspeakable joy, and everlasting admira- 
tion. As I cannot recal these doubts that now dis- 
tract my breast, to convert them into acts of faith ; 
nor these murmurings to hush them into silent resig- 
nation ; I should study now to glorify God in the deep- 
est valley of misery, and darkest night of adversity, 
by thinking highly and honourably of him who gov- 
erns both heaven and earth. Finally, how sweet must 
that day be to my soul, when my experience shall con- 
firm and confess the kind end of every providence ; 
and providence shall sweetly explain and accomplish 
the promise ; and all shall join in one voice for ever. 
Not one good thing hath failed of all that the Lord 
hath spoken. 

MEDITATION XIII. 

CONTENTMENT. 

What wouldst thou have, O my soul! to make 
thee content ? Thou hast much in hand, and more 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 27 

in hope: thou hast the comforts of life, and the means 
of salvation; the word preached, and the sacraments 
dispensed ; an open vision, and an English Bible. 
Thou hast the possession of the life that now is, and 
the promise of that which is come. If thou art not 
so happy as some, thou art not so miserable as others. 
If there are many in an higher and better state in the 
world than thou (and shouldst thou quarrel ?) there 
are more in a lower and worse condition (and shouldst 
not thou wonder ?) 

If thou get bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 
any thing with a blessing, it is much, seeing thou de- 
servest to be fed with the curse. It is mercy that 
thou art an inhabitant of God's earth, who mightest 
have been a prisoner in the pit of devouring fire. — 
Thou hast cause of cordial exultation, that God is not 
as yet inexorable ; and it may content thee in any 
condition, that God doth not contend with thee for 
ever. Art thou not ashamed to wish for^much, when 
thou hast forfeited all ? Wouldst thou have the bet- 
ter part here, and the blessed portion hereafter ? The 
nether-springs of earthly comforts, and the upper- 
springs of heavenly consolation ? Must thou be serv- 
ed of Mammon, that thou mavest serve God ? And 
must thou be hired with earthly felicity, to accept of 
heavenly glory ? No, Lord, thou thyself thy love 
alone, shall content me for ever ; for any thing is too 
much for me, who deserve nothing ; a crumb of mer- 
cy is a rich banquet to me, who am a bankrupt at 
law. What matters it how I fare at the king's gate, 
since I am the man whom the king delighteth to hon- 
our ; and shall in a little, with mirth on every side, be 
brought into the king's palace, there to abide forever? 
Surely, then, his time can never be bitter who has the 
hopes of an happy eternity ; nor can crosses greatly 
vex that soul that is crucified to the world, and the 



28 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

world to him ; nor has he any loss to fear who has his 
treasures in eternity ; neither can misfortunes im- 
poverish him who is an heir of the true riches ; nor 
the death of friends distress him whose best friend 
lives for ever. 

I see, then, I only want one thing to make me hap- 
py ; and that is, to know the precious things of my 
treasure, and that I am so happy. Speak, and I am 
blessed for ever; speak the heavenly word, "All 
things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is 
God's." 



MEDITATION XIV. 

DEATH. 

1757. 
There is a lesson that concerns the whole world, 
which yet few of the world lay to heart, and that is, 
that all men are mortal. If I ask at the practice of 
the universality of mankind, it denies it. If I return 
and ask at my own breast ; why, I confess I must 
meet with death, but conclude myself immortal for 
the present, and so hold easy for the time being, though 
multitudes drop down around me. Ah I when do I 
think on death, or suppose its approach near ? many 
foolish pleasing scenes of life do I act in my fancy, 
but how seldom the final scene of dissolution ! When 
do I represent myself to myself, laid on a sick-bed, on 
a death-bed, with broken groans, cold sweats, tremb- 
ling joints, languid looks, an intermitting pulse, and 
all the signs of death, while friends bewail about me ? 
Or, when I do run through the more interesting part 
of the scene, how, when I leave the world, matters 
may stand between my soul and God ? How I shall 
appear before the majesty of Heaven, and stand in the 
tremendous judgment ? Strange ! Is this the practice 
of one who knows, and would fain believe, he must 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 29 

die ? Pious kings have had their sepulchres hewn out 
long before their death, that every time they saw them, 
they might, in the midst of all their pomp and glory, 
see where they must shortly lie. — In this even hea- 
thens shame me, of whom some have, by their own 
orders, had monitions of their own. mortality made to 
them daily ; while others have set the skulls of the 
deceased at their tables, to moderate their mirth, and 
remind them of mortality. 

When I look abroad in the world, scenes of sorrow 
are every where to be seen. Sometimes both parents 
taken away from a young family of helpless orphans. 
At other times, the rising pillars, the apparent support 
of their aged and infirm parents, are snatched away 
from the grey-headed mourners ! — Who shall quarrel 
with Omnipotence, whether he cut down the olive 
plants from about the table,* or break the k tree from 
amidst the dependent springs ? Indeed, it is hard to 
persuade fond affection into silence, or to attain to 
resignation under the loss of a beloved friend. For 
when my renewed part is prostrate at the throne of 
the all-wise Disposer, then my corruption is apt to 
rise into rebellion against the doings of the Most High. 
But whether have I most interest in my nearest rela- 
tions, or in God ? Is one creature more connected 
with another creature, by any tie, than the Creator of 
both ? What do I pray for, but that the will ot God be 
done ? And yet, if it come near my family, I take again 
my word, and would have my will preferred to God's! 
All I am, and have, are God's to dispose of, how and 
when he pleases ; who will never infringe his justice, 
or forget his bowels of compassion, even in my afflic- 
tions. 

Would not I glorify God in my life and in my death ? 
and why not also in the death of my friends ? He glo* 
rifled himself in their life, therefore they existed ; he 

3* 



30 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

glorifies himself in their death, therefore they are not* 
Will I pull and draw with God ? or tell him, he cannot 
have my friends yet, for though they have served their 
generation, yet they have not served my fond affec- 
tion ? An excess of grief here bewrays my want of 
love to God, to my relations, and to myself. For 
if I love God, I will be glad that his will be done with 
me and mine, even to death. If I love my friends, I 
will be happy in their happiness ; and if I love my 
own soul, I will bless God for taking away friends, 
when like to come too much between my love and 
my Beloved, and like to take up too much of my 
affection from "the chiefest among ten thousand." 

Death and life, earth and heaven, time and eternity, 
the footstool and the throne, are thine. Can I then be- 
wail my friends, of whose, felicity I have the cheerful 
hopes, that they are brought from death to life, transla- 
ted from earth to heaven, from time to eternity, and 
from the footstool to the throne ? They are above the 
reach of sorrow; and, on that account, shall I be be- 
low the reach of comfort ? Though carnal ties are dis- 
solved in death, yet the spiritual relation ceases not. 
So it matters not where the family dwell ; for even in 
heaven they are exalted members of our exalted Head, 
and I a militant member of the same exalted Head ; 
thus, though far scattered, some in this world, some 
in the other world, yet all shall be convened to- 
gether in " the general assembly and church of the 
first born," free from sin, free from sorrow. Almost 
my anguish would convert to joy, did not streams of 
briny grief pollute'the chrystal current, and recal my 
ponderous loss. But what call I loss ] Absence not 
loss. They are found of God — dwell in and with 
God, and in what respect are they lost ? Just I see 
them not, I hear them not. What is that to them who 
are so happy ? and what should it be to me who 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 31 

know them to be so happy ? I would adventure a 
friend far from home, to a foreign country, there to 
make a fortune, if informed by every post of his pros- 
perity. But here I am sure, not only of their felicity, 
but of its perpetuity. Whatever my loss be, let me 
look to God for a supply of all. And since I have not 
them fondly to talk with let my soliloquy be to God ; 
and as my love cannot penetrate into the pulverizing 
sepulchre, to hug their putrefying clay, nor enter eter- 
nity to find out their disembodied soul, let it return and 
empty itself alone on God. 

Now I see the vanity of the world ; death, when 
sent, pities not the life of the poor, spares not the 
rich, but is faithful to his charge, and cannot be cor- 
rupted. They are happy in leaving me, and going to 
God ; I am happy in losing them, and returing to God. 
God has broken, as Hezekiah did the brazen serpent, 
the idol to whom I gave incense, only due to God> 
and called it apiece of clay. But now may the sweet 
hopes of a blessed immortality banish the sorrows of 
present dissolution, and mitigate my grief; the more 
so as I need not sorrow like them that have no hope. 
A little, and I am no more ; soon my dust shall 
mingle with theirs, and wait that joyful trumpet, that 
shall summon every happy slumberer to immortality 
and bliss. 



MEDITATION XV. 

COMMUNION WITH GOD, WHAT IT IS. 

Communion with God is an expression often in my 
mouth, but which sinks no further ; I know the word, 
but neither its blessed import, nor glorious extent. 
My prayers and practice jar ; for while I beg it with 
my lips, I study not to attain it in my life. — Ah ! what 
a stranger am I to that which I would fain have flat- 
tered myself that I am acquainted with ! Alas! what 
know I of walking with God — of that joy which is 



32 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

found in believing ? What know I of the lasting and 
abiding impressions of his inexpressible love ! What 
of that transforming vision, and assimilating sight 
which is enjoyed below, whereby the soul is changed 
into the same image, from glory to glory ! What do I 
know of dwelling in his presence all the day long! 
What of pouring out my soul in prayer to him! and 
wrestling with him for the blessing ! How seldom is 
my meditation of him sweet 1 

But union is the basis of communion ; for how can 
those walk or talk together that are not agreed ? O 
then to be joined to the Lord, and become one spirit ! 
But, my soul mistake not communion, for it lies not in 
a flaming profession, nor in the performance of chris- 
tian duties, as reading, hearing, praying, praising, 
though enjoyed in these ; nor in the greatest parts, 
and brightest talents ; nor in lofty expressions in pray- 
er ; nor in the knowledge of divine things : What is 
it then ? It is just a dwelling in and with God, and 
God dwelling in and with the soul. It is God's love 
going out on the soul, and the soul in love going out 
on God. God dwells in the duty with supplies of 
grace, in the meditation as its subject, and in the heart 
as a portion and chief good. And the soul dwells in 
God as her ultimate end, dilates in his fulness, riots in 
his bliss. The soul that is blessed with such a commu- 
nion, favoured with such a fellowship, knows no other 
object for her love ; no other subject for her thoughts ; 
no other employment for her faculties ; no higher de- 
gree of happiness for her attainment, than consum- 
mate communion ; no other beloved for her affection ; 
and no other end for her existence. Nor is this all. 
In communion with God, the soul shares of his fulness, 
communicates of his glory, drinks at his pleasures, sati- 
ates herself with his love, participates of his commu- 
nicable perfections, enters into his joy, and partakes 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 33 

©f the divine nature. O life of angels ! O paradise 
of love! O transporting employ! O ecstasy of bliss! 
The soul is always with God ; now in prayer, then 
in praise ; now in meditation, then in ejaculation ; 
she has not a complaint but she tells to God ; not a 
grief but she makes known to him; not a sin but she 
mourns over to him ; not a request, not a desire, but 
she reveals to him. O that holy intimacy that is con- 
tracted between the soul and God ! that freedom of 
converse, that wrestling with God in prayer, disputing 
about the blessing ! Let me go ;— I will not let tliee go 
until thou bless me ! This is the life of heaven on 
earth, God come down to man, or man taken up to 
God, 

Now, my soul, what sayest, what thinkest thou of 
all this ? Ah! the carnal mind is enmity against God, 
and against communion with God. Then I must 
either be crucified to the world, or cursed with the 
world. It is not a Sabbath-day's devotion, a rapture 
in time of praise or prayer, and returning greedily to 
the world. Communion is another thing than I have 
hitherto taken it to be. It is constant and continual. 
I should endeavour to keep my soul always in an 
heavenly frame, even in earthly affairs ; thus the an- 
gels, even in messages to our world, carry heaven with 
them. Although I must mind the necessary affairs 
of this life, yet I should carry God to the field with 
me, and to the closet, to the street, and to my table. 
I should work, and walk, fall asleep, and awake in 
his presence; and talk with him on my bed, when all 
around me keep silence; and when hurried away with 
vain rovings, my soul should still return to God, as 
her centre, as her resting-place. 

O the pleasure that is in this life of communion 
with God ! It is a young heaven, with which, in the 
highest degree of perfection, all the saints in glory 



34 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

are blessed. Then, Lord, begin this life of com- 
munion in my soul, to which I am too much a stran- 
ger; destroy every thing that would destroy it; and 
as I would desire to live with thee hereafter, so let 
me endeavour to live with thee here, and thus im- 
prove for eternity, and prepare for the world to come. 



MEDITATION XVI. 

THE DISPOSAL OF PROVIDENCE ALWAYS BEST. 

Why would I still take the government of myself 
out of thy hand, and choose according to my fond de- 
sires ? Can my ignorance penetrate through the 
thick darkness of futurity ? Who would choose a blind 
madman to guide him through some lonely ways, 
and intricate meanders, with which neither the travel- 
ler nor the guide are acquainted in the least; since 
he might lead him where he lists- and stab him as he 
strays ? It is surely safer to walk by faith in God, 
than to be led by fancy. I choose what is most 
agreeable to me ; but God chooses what is most ad- 
vantageous for me ; and proves, in his disposal of 
me, that his love to me is greater than my love to 
myself. I love blindly, but he loves with the wisdom 
of a God. I would have my prayers answered at my 
time, but God answers them at his time, which is al- 
ways the best time. I would have my blessings in 
sum, but he gives them in parcels, because I could 
not bear them all at once. So the prudent mother 
feeds her child, not according to the irregular appe- 
tite of her infant, to avoid surfeits, but according to 
its real necessity, to afford nourishment. In this un- 
happy life, it is not the least of my happiness, that I 
am not at my own direction, at mine own disposal ; 
for a ship without a pilot, and at the mercy of wind 
and waves, might as well find the desired port, as I 
attain to rest and tranquility. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 35 

Through faith and patience it is that I must inherit 
the promises; therefore God to make me inherit them 
in the way that all the saints have done before, tries 
my patience, and exercises my faith ; and dare I 
quarrel at his conduct, or be displeased at such bright 
displays of his peculiar care and loving kindness ? — 
Why, then, so many risings in my breast, so many 
doubtings in my soul ? Hence I will conclude of eve- 
ry contingency in my lot, however contrary to my en- 
terprises and designs, however crushing to flesh and 
blood, that it is the very best for me, both with res- 
pect to this world and that which is to come. 



MEDITATION XVII. 

LOVE IN ITS FOURFOLD EXTENSION, Epll. iii. 18. 

Some things may have height as the heavens, depth 
as the sea, and breadth and length as the earth ; but 
love divine has an height which cannot be seen, a 
depth which cannot be sounded, a length which can* 
not be limited, and a breadth which cannot be measu- 
red! O Lord, may I know thy love in its depth, in 
bringing me out of the lowest hell ; in its height, in 
setting me on the Redeemer's throne ; in its breadth, 
in making me an heir of God ; and in its length, in 
eternizing my bliss in the regions of glory. This love, 
in its depth, recovers and restores fallen man to end- 
less felicity; in its height, crowns and confirms the 
church of the first born ; the inhabitants of the bet- 
ter country walk at liberty in its breadth, and rejoice 
in its length, its eternal duration. 

Thou, Lord, hast, in thy love, been my dwelling 
place before the mountains were brought forth ; and 
art my dwelling rock while I wander in the howling 
desert, and wilt be my temple when sun and moon 
are no more. Well does thy love deserve a fourfold 
definition that answers my fourfold situation. — Thoi* 



36 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

hast loved me with an everlasting love, when in the 
loins of my parents, therefore with loving kindness 
dost thou draw me. Thou lovest me now, when I ap- 
pear in this world, a man composed of soul and body ; 
therefore dost thou reveal thyself to me. Thou wilt 
love me when I exist in a separate state, when my bo- 
dy is laid in the silent grave, and my soul carried into 
the world of spirits ; therefore, at my dissolution, shall 
I enter into the joy of my Lord. And thou wilt love 
me when my soul and body are united again ; therefore 
thou wilt pass the gracious sentence on me, in the 
sight of men and angels ; and, in the sight of the 
whole world, present me with a crown of life, a crown 
of glory, which fadeth not away. When I lay welter- 
ing in my blood, it pitied me ; when running on in 
the mad career of sin, it converted me ; and now that 
I am reconciled, it will never leave me, but at last 
will crown my graces with perfection. 

This glorious love extends to every point, to every 
quarter. In the rugged path of life, it supports me 
amidst the sorrows of life, it comforts me ; in the hour 
of death, it is my sun and shield ; and at the day 
of judgment, shall spread an heaven before me. This 
love in its depth answers my necessities ; in its height, 
crowns my highest expectations ; in its breadth, re- 
plenishes my soul with goodness ; and in its length, 
satiates my most enlarged desires of mind, and suits 
the eternity of my existence. In the depth of this love, 
the Son of God became man ; and in its height, men 
are made the sons of God. It locks the gates of hell, 
so that I shall never fall into perdition ; it opens the 
gates of heaven, so that I shall enter in to swim in an 
ocean of love, whose height and depth, breadth and 
length, shall be the subject and the song of the 
church triumphant round the throne, through everlast- 
ing day. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 



37 



MEDITATION XVIII. 

SLANDER. 

March 17, 1757. 
What a wicked world do we live in 1 If happy, we 
are envied ; if miserable, we are contemned ; and in 
every condition slandered. With the psalmist of old, 
I may say, <* The month of the slanderer is opened 
against me." With him I may add, " They have 
spoken against me without a cause." O that, with 
him, I could also say. "But. I gave myself to prayer ? 

I am not the first that have suffered innocently. — 
The man after God's own heart, in the darkest day of 
his distress (for slander has no pity) and in the midst 
of his life-guards; is attacked by a subject, and has the 
most virulent speeches thrown out against him, accom- 
panied with dust ; and the most bitter reproaches, sent 
home with vollies of stones! David, thou wast never 
more like a king, nor more like the King of heaven, 
than now, who makes his sun to shine on the good 
and the evil, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. 
I read, I admire, and would imitate : " Let him alone, 
let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him." Such 
patience under such ill usage at any other time, would 
not have been prudent ; but now it is like a king, like 
a saint, like an angel, like God. 

From David, I cast mine eye to David's Lord, the 
God of angels, who, by his own creatures, and to his 
very face, is called a devil. He whose miracles set 
his divinity above doubt, is accused as a deceiver, 
condemned as an impostor, and executed as a male- 
factor ? yet hear his prayer ; " Father, forgive them, 
for they know not what they do." The patience of 
the type, and the prayer of the antitype, let me study 
to imitate. 

4 



38 



SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR ? 



How cautious should we be in believing detracting 
stories, since nothing can be more like truth, yet 
nothing more untrue than the slander I complain of. 
— But O how sweet is the testimony of a good con- 
science ! It is an impenetrable shield against all the 
poisoned arrows of reproach. When the soul can 
call in the heart-searching God to witness its inno- 
cency, well may it triumph, knowing that " the curse^ 
causeless, shall not come." But how difficult is it 
to be of a meek and forgiving spirit, when despiteful- 
ly used ! To love an enemy, and forgive an evil- 
speaker, is an higher attainment than is commonly 
believed. Christianity in theory, and Christianity in 
practice, are very different things. It is easy to talk 
of Christian forbearance among neighbours, but to 
practice it ourselves, proves us to be Christians in- 
deed. The surmises of a few credulous persons need 
not trouble that man who knows his cause is soon to 
be tried in court, and he openly acquitted. So the 
fvil language of evil times need not greatly disturb 
me, since in the day of judgment " my judgment shall 
be brought forth as the noon-day." While I pray for 
pardon to my slanderers, I also plead, that their evil 
speeches may not be established in the earth. 

The circumstances of David change, but not his 
heavenly temper. Hence the abandoned Benjamite 
neither finds him the desperado when driven from 
Jerusalem, nor the tyrant when returning in triumph. 
u I have sinned," says the prostrate rebel; "I par- 
don," says the prosperous king. "What! my Lord," 
cries Abishai, ^ shall not Shimei be slain, that cursed 
the Lord's anointed?" "No; shall my restoration 
be laid in blood? May not I pardon, for am I not 
king this dav in Israel ?" Thus David will not avenge 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 39 

his personal injury ; but as Shimei's malediction was 
a breach of the law of heaven, commits the matter to 
Solomon, and his wickedness at last found him out. 

My passion runs in a wrong channel ; for my grief 
should be greater that the malicious slanderer sins 
against God, against his own soul, and against the 
truth, in his elaborate lies, than for all the mischief his 
bitter reproaches can do to me. 

Every time the military man enters the field of bat- 
tle, he must either stand his ground, or come off with 
disgrace; so under every trial, my graces either must 
reap advantage, or suffer loss. Therefore, my present 
duty is not to slander my slanderers not to meditate 
revenge, or rejoice when evil finds them : But, first, to 
justify God in all things ; then, to forgive, pray for, and 
love mine enemies ; thirdly, to study what I may be 
reproved in, chastised for, or instructed about ; and, 
lastly, that every grace (faith in God patience under 
the rod, humility of mind, and meekness towards all) 
may improve under the present providences. 



MEDITATION XIX. 

FEAR, AND OTHER PASSIONS. 

Four things I should fear ; God, myself, temptation, 
and sin. I should fear God, for his greatness ; self, 
for its infirmity ; temptation, for its danger; and sin, 
for its defilement. I should fear God with love; my- 
self with caution ; sin with hatred ; and temptation 
with resolution. The fear of God will take away 
the fear of man ; the fear of self will moderate the 
love of self; the fear of sin will make watchful a- 
gainst sin ; and the fear of temptation will be an an- 
tidote against temptation. My fear of God should be 
constant with cheerfulness ; of self, constant with 
trembling ; of sin, constant with watchfulness ; and 
of temptation, constant with vigilance. The first is 



40 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

my attainment ; the second is my duty ; the third is 
my wisdom ; and the fourth is my prudence. The 
fear of sin shall fly away when I am made perfect in 
holiness, and pass ioto glory ; the fear of self shall 
cease, when self is put off, and God is all in all ; the 
fear of temptation, when Satan is trodden under my 
feet : but the fear of God shall endure for ever ; only 
the panic is removed, when love is made perfect, and 
casteth out fear; for the fear of saints, struggling with 
a body of sin and death, hnth torment in it ; but there 
is no torment in the fear of seraphic hosts, who, with 
the profoundest awe and reverence before the throne 
cover their faces with their wings. I see, then, that 
love, accompanied with fear that has cast out the tor- 
ment of terror, shall dwell in every glorified breast. 

Several things should be the objects of my most 
ardent desire ; as, the lessening of Satan's kingdom; 
the downfal of the Roman Antichrist, and Maho- 
metan delusion ; the conversion of the Jews ; the 
spreading of the gospel and knowledge of God 
through the world ; the growth of practical religion 
in every breast ; and the hastening of the glory of 
the latter days. 

Several things I should admire and wonder at ; as, 
the being and perfections of God ; the unity in Tri- 
nity, and Trinity in unity ; the love of God ; the in- 
carnation of the Son ; the passion of Christ ; the 
purchase of his sufferings ; the names of Tmmanuel ; 
the offices of the Redeemer ; the relations of the 
God-man ; the Holy Ghost's indwelling in the soul ; 
the union of saints to their Head ; the communion 
of creatures with God ; the justification of the guil- 
ty ; the sanctilication of the unclean ; the glorifica- 
tion of man that is but a worm ; the great and pre- 
cious promises ; the excellency of grace ; the efficacy 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 41 

of faith ; the nature and immortality of the soul ; and 
the glories of the world to come. 

Several things I should mourn over ; as, the hard- 
ness of my heart ; my ignorance of God ; my luke- 
warmness in the matters of his glory ; the prevalen- 
cy of sin ; my want of love; my promptitude to re- 
venge; my complacency in created enjoyments; a 
carnal mind and tongue ; and carelessness abQut the 
concerns of the unseen world : — and abroad the 
world, I should mourn over the degeneracy of the 
times ; the corruption of morals ; the abounding of 
iniquity ; the trampling on truth ; and the adorning 
of the temple of error ; which, if attacked, an out- 
cry is made, Great is the light of nature, the power of 
free will, and the excellency of morality, the goddess 
of the universe. 

Several things I should prefer to others; as, the 
glory of God to all; his honour to my credit; and 
his love more than my own life : — and I should grieve 
more at the sins of others, than for mine own sor- 
rows, and count my sins a heavier burden than my 
afflictions. I should esteem the promise of eternal 
life more than the possession of all created things, 
and inward joy more than outward peace. 

And, finally, in the midst of all, several things 
should cause me to rejoice ; as that God governs all 
things ; that all things shall work for his glory, and 
the good of his people; that righteousness shall dwell 
in the earth, and sin as ashamed stop its mouth; that 
grace shall be perfected ; conquest crown the wrest- 
ler ; and love be blown into a flame, when eternal life 
is the portion of the soul, and God is all in all in hea- 
ven, where vision shall be without the glass, fruition 
above measure, communion inconceivably and di- 
vinely near, knowledge full, and the saints (in the 
highest perfection that creatures can attain unto) made 
4* 



42 eoLiTUBE sweetened; or, 

partakers of the divine nature ! Now, what joy may 
it afford, that the glory of this day, the dawning of 
eternal glory, is not very far away ? 



MEDITATION XX. 

UNIVERSAL IMPROVEMENT. 

As there is not a moment of time but I must ac- 
count for, so there is nothing that happens me but I 
should improve. Miseries I should improve, to re- 
mind me or my pedigree, that my first father hath 
sinned ; mercies, in admiring the fountain whence, 
and the freeness with which they flow ; prosperity, in 
cheerful devotion ; adversity, in consideration ; riches, 
in charity ; poverty, in contentment ; opportunity of 
revenge, in a frank forgiveness, and doing good for 
ill ; evil company, in raising my estimate of the saints 
of God ; loss of relations, in loosening my affections 
from the creature, raising them to the immortal world, 
and remembering my hitter end ; sickness, in prepar- 
ing for my change ; health, in a cheerful performance 
of Christian, relative, and social duties ; knowledge, 
in trying all, and holding fast that which is best ; 
crosses and losses, in learning the vanity of the world ; 
answers of prayer, in returns of praise ; delays, in pa- 
tience ; disappointment, in resignation ; changes in 
my lot, in submission ; the uproar of kingdoms in re- 
membering that God rules the nations, and stills the 
tumults of the people ; temptation to sin, in flying to 
the grace of God ; distrusting self, and improving the 
promise; the falsifying friend, in adoring the faithful- 
ness of God ; strife and discord in church or state, in 
admiring the happy state, when the adorers are one 
before the throne; manifestation, in humility; deser- 
tion, in holy diligence ; correction, in amendment ; 
gifts, for edification ; time, for eternity ; grace, for 
glory ; and my soul in all her faculties, for God. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 43 

MEDITATION XXI. 

THE SOUL'S ENLARGEMENT ON HIGH. 

1757. 
Here the soul, confined to clay, is like a royal per- 
sonage in prison, whose grand attendance is not seen, 
because he cannot come abroad. While this heaven- 
born excellency is here below, wisdom differs but a lit- 
tle from folly ; understanding is but a few degrees re- 
moved from ignorance ; and all the mental powers 
are feeble. But O the enlargement of the soul on 
high ! This map of future glories, now folded up in 
flesh, shall be extended in breadth and length above. 
How penetrating then shall wisdom be ! how active 
every povvei ! how vigorous the flame of love! how 
enlarged the understanding ! and how beautiful in the 
heights of glory shall the whole soul appear 1 Here, 
the child of grace, who was glad of a seat on the 
threshold of the temple, and could with joy have been 
but a door-keeper in the house of God- shall not only 
be a pillar in the temple above, but shall be a living 
temple, in which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
shall condescend to dwell, and fill for ever with his 
glory ! O transcending bliss! to be dignified with such 
an inhabitant, who will write, in letters of immutable 
love, " This is my rest, here will I dwell for ever, for 
I desire it, and delight in it." Yea, in fine, the soul 
which would be content to shine as the least star in 
the firmament of glory, shall, in the visions of God, 
be extended to a transparent heaven, and spread into 
a cloudless sky* in which all the perfections of God 
shall sparkle like the stars, and the graces of the Holy 
Spirit, like so many planets, shall roll round the Son 
of righteousness, eager to approach his assimilating 
beams, his vivifying rays ; while he, the sum and 
source of bliss, fixed in his love in the centre of the 



44 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; Oil, 

soul, shall spread his quickening flames to every cor- 
ner of the heart. No more vexations, like vapours 
exhaled by the heat of righteous indignation, shall fill 
my atmosphere with the suffocating fogs of anguish, 
or fall in showers of sorrow that end in streams of 
briny tears. Thunders and tempests there no more 
molest, where all is tranquility ; no eclipse, where all 
is light ; no shadow, where all is illumination \ no 
evening, where all is everlasting day, 

This sky, spread out by the fingers of redeeming 
love, this new-created heaven, is not only beauteous 
like a molten looking-glass, but shall be strong to stand 
for ever ; and then, and there, O how shall union be 
strengthened, assimilation increased ! How shall joy 
heighten, wisdom grow, knowledge ripen, communion 
be most free, and ecstacy and rapture swell, fill, and 
overflow for evermore ! 



MEDITATIOxN XXII. 

AFFLICTION THE LOT OF SAINTS BELOW. 

May 13 & 19, 1757. 
While I am mortal, I must taste of the waters of 
Mara, drink of the cup of adversity, and swim the 
tempestuous ocean. It is the perfection of angels, 
that they could never know the pathos of mental dis- 
quiet, or the pangs of anguish ; and it is the happi- 
ness of departed saints, to obtain joy for mourning, 
a crown for crosses, and to forget their misery, if not 
wholly, yet to remember it as waters, once swelled to 
a dreadful flood, but that now for ever flow away. It 
is, then, the misery of the sons of men, only while 
here, to be, as it were, a mark set up for the arrows 
of tribulation, and to be engaged in constant war, 
and in perpetual broils; but it is the privilege of the 
Christian soldier to wear the shield of faith, with which 
he shall be able to quench the fiery darts of Satan, and 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 45 

to ward off the sling-stones of tribulation which pelt 
him from every quarter. How, then, may 1 triumph 
under all my afflictions, if I consider, 

1. That they come from God, whatever be the in- 
strument : «* Thou hast chastised me, and I was chas- 
tised ; thou hast afflicted me in faithfulness." 

2. That they are out of love : " AYhom the Lord 
loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom 
he receiveth." 

3. That they are for my good : " Fathers of our 
flesh chastise us for their pleasure, but he for our pro- 
fit, that we may be partakers of his holiness." 

4. That they are for the exercise of grace, even of 
that noble grace of faith : " When I am afraid I will 
trust in thee ;" here faith is improved by affliction. 
" My brethren, count it ail joy when ye fill into di- 
vers temptations, knowing that the trying of your 
faith worketh patience. Not only so, but" (strange 
to te)l !) « we glory in tribulation also, knowing that 
tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, 
and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, 
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts 
by the Holy Ghost " 

5. They are noble antidotes against, and preserva- 
tives fron sin : k < Ere I was afflicted, I strayed, but 
now I keep thy word." 

6. They assimilate the saints to their glorious Head, 
their sympathizing and feeling High Priest, who was 
" a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:" yea, 
in the work of redemption, " the Captain of their sal- 
vation was made perfect through suffering." 

6. They give a general disgust of all created things, 
and prove the creature to be subject to vanity ; hence, 
says one much inured to affliction," I have seen an end 
of all perfection." 

8. They teach humanity and sympathy to fellow 



46 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

creatures in the same circumstances. Israel, from 
their being strangers, were to know the heart of a 
stranger, and deal kindly with him ; and in this men 
ought to imitate him, " who suffered, being tempt- 
ed, that he might know how to succour them that are 
tempted, and he a merciful High Priest to his people." 

9. They make very humble, and break the haughty 
mind, and bring down the lofty thought : " I shall go 
softly all my years, in the bitterness of my soul ; my 
soul is as a weaned child :" and God has this in view 
by them, to hide pride from man. 

10. They make the man rightly exercised therein, 
to know himself, and think on his former ways ; to re- 
sort often to the throne of grace, go often to God, 
and increase, as it were, the acquaintance between 
God and his soul : " In the day of my trouble I sought 
the Lord." 

11. They give clear and certain proof of the provi- 
dence of God, w r ho in six troubles and in seven deli- 
vers out of them. They preach his power, who makes 
his people pass through fire and water, not to other 
ruin, wiiich we might well expect, but to a wealthy 
place, to heaven and to glory. 

12. They prepare for glory, and make us tit to join 
the company of those that came out of great tribula- 
tion, and have washed their garments and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb, therefore are they be- 
fore the throne of God, and enjoy him in all his divine 
plenitude, world without end. 

Shall I, then, despise the discipline of heaven, from 
which none are exempted, no, not the Son of God ? 
Yea, all the heirs of glory are brought up in the school 
of the cross. O royal privilege, inestimable blessing, 
to be under the care of heaven, and tuition of God ! 
Away, despondency, begone ; thou wouldst cast a cov- 
ering over the love of him who is my tower in troublous 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 47 

days ; and make me conclude hardly of him who has 
thoughts of kindness towards me. Can infinite wis- 
dom be at a loss to contrive, or infinite power non- 
plussed to bring to pass, to bring to perfection, my re- 
lief? Till then, I shall, I will believe ; nor shall I look 
to means, or tie Omnipotence to them. Bring Israel 
to the rock to quench their thirst ? What! Can solid 
flint be converted into a cooling stream ? But, lo ! the 
aged sides divide asunder, and let the promised springs 
refresh the parched hosts. Omnipotence, rather than 
not perform, will stop the course of nature, and make 
the restless billows rise in liquid walls, that Israel's 
bondaged sons may tread the trackless sand ; will bid 
the raven feed, with morning and evening care, the 
wandering prophet ; and forbid the fire to burn, or 
even to singe the garments of the glorious martyrs ; 
yea, to feed his chosen people, he creates and rains 
down manna from above. Who, then, should bound 
his power, or doubt his faithfulness ? God will never 
break his word, whatever men think, nor falsify his 
faithful promise. — Cursed unbelief implies, that either 
God promises what he never intends to perform, or 
what he is not able to perfect ; both which are blas- 
phemous; both which, O my soul! abhor, and rather 
rejoice in tribulation, which, when watered with the 
dew of heaven, is so far from being a barren soil, that 
it is the nursery of other graces, and brings forth pa- 
tience, and patience experience, and experience hope, 
and hope strong confidence, and sweet dependence on 
that God whose love is shed abroad in the heart by 
the Holy Ghost. 

Again, in affliction the saints are ascertained of the 
love and care of God, when their prayers enter into 
his holy habitation, and their requests are answered to 
the joy of their soul. Hence it was sin in Israel to 
chide with Moses, and to quarrel with God, when 



48 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

brought into difficulties and dangers that seemed in- 
extricable every way. Before them the Red Sea for- 
bids them to advance, high hills on every side hinder 
their escape, and behind advancing hosts swoln with 
rage, and ravening after blood, deny a safe retreat. 
Now man is more than nonplussed ; all courage fails; 
faith and hope are low ; fears are high ; and, alas ! 
their eye is not towards Him who can do ail things, 
and who did instantaneously, to manifest his power, 
and fix his people's faith in himself, divide the raging 
floods, and build the restless waters in chrystal walls, 
to bound their steps in ways not known before, and 
clothe their rear in shady night, which darted pitchy 
darkness in the eyes of the keen pursuer. 

Seeing Thou, O Governor of men ! canst make 
crooked things straight, rough places plain, and afflic- 
tion even to become a friend, I will rejoice in thee 
forever, nor quarrel at thy conduct. Yea, wo to 
them; nay, wo to me, if I use any unlawful means, 
or to be too anxious to set my nest on high, that I 
may be delivered from the power of evil. Agitating 
affliction, like the flux and reflux of the sea, casts out 
mire and dirt, sweeps its troubled bosom, refines the 
affections, and purifies the soul. Take courage, O 
my soul ! and mind that yet a little while and sin is no 
more, and sorrow is no more, and temptations are no 
more, and troubles are no more, and time is no more : 
but yet a little while, and love, and life, and light, and 
liberty, and joy, and glory, rapture, and delight ; in a 
word, God and all his fulness, are thine forevermore. 



MEDITATION XXIII. 

PRIVATE EXPERIENCE. 

May 24, 1757. 
O the wonderful condescension of God ! If he 
looks into heaven, among thrones and dominions, sera- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 49 

phim and cherubim, it is humility, stupendous humili- 
ty. How much more when he casts his caring eyes 
on this inferior world ! But still most of all, when he 
hears the cries, and answers the requests, of one who 
is infinitely less than the least of all his mercies 1 
Thou hast heard, and I am revived ; thou hast an- 
swered me, and I am confirmed in my belief of thy 
love towards me. O Lord ! henceforth let all my 
love be thine, and on thee let all my faith depend. 
Now I know to whom to fly, and where it is safe to 
hide me. Now I know, that one day is to God as a 
thousand years, and that whatever he can do in a thou- 
sand years, he can do in one day. Now, to the friend 
that sticketh closer than a brother, with confidence I 
will cleave. Faith could never be too large in its re- 
quests to God in prayer ; but God has many a time 
gone beyond faith in his returns of mercy, and made 
the blessing broader than belief itself, and more ex- 
tensive than the utmost expectation. 

Alas ! it is night in the soul, when unbelief suggests 
that God's ear is heavy that he cannot hear, and his 
hand shortened, that he cannot save. Lord, let such 
a night never spread over my horizon ; but let the day- 
star of faith spread out the purpled morning, till the 
glorious sun bring in the perfect day— Mine extremity 
has been, and still shall be, thine opportunity to appear 
in my relief. Circumstances with me may come to 
my utmost, even to my last extreme, but can never 
come to thy utmost ; but even though it were so, thou 
canst save to the uttermost all that come unto thee. 
Let others conclude of the conduct of providence as 
they please ; but for my part, I approve and prize, and 
henceforth shall be at thy disposal, O glorious Gover- 
nor of men and angels! Do with me as thou wilt, 
for thy kindness I have experienced from my cradle, 
and shall do to the tomb. The world is a stranger to 
5 



50 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; Ofi, 

the mystery of providence, and to the communion thy 
people have with thee therein. They know nothing 
of the prayer of faith, nor of the return of prayer. 
When the soul is helped to take firm hold of God in 
the promise, and to look to him alone, and nothing 
else, and none besides, is a prelude of approaching 
mercy. Now, if my conscious soul can blush, let me 
be ashamed out of my unbelief for ever. Blessed be 
thy name that thou hast not dealt with me as I have 
sinned, given me mine own measure into my bosom, 
and repaid my low thoughts of God with scanty out- 
lettings of thy kindness. Now, Lord! hold me in 
the hollow of thy hand, and under thy wings let me re- 
side ; while any way thou shalt dispose of me, shall 
every way delight me, till I am brought at last beyond 
the line of time, where changes and mutations shall 
never more take place. 



MEDITATION XXIV. 

ALL PLENITUDE IN CHRIST, TO ANSWER ALL THE WANTS OF HIS 
PEOPLE. 

May 24, 1757. 
In Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bo- 
dily, that out of his fulness I may receive, and grace 
for grace. — Have I destroyed myself by sin ? On him 
who is mighty to save from sin and wrath has God laid 
help for me. — Is my foolish mind darkened, and am I 
a guilty, polluted, and ruined wretch ? Of God he is 
made to me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and 
redemption. — Am I of yesterday, and pass away as a 
shadow ? He is the ancient of days, and endureth for 
evermore. — Am I of few years, and full of trouble ? 
He is my life, the length of my days, and the joy of 
my heart. — Am I exposed to contempt ? He shall be 
to me for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beau- 
ty. — Am I travelling through the wilderness ? He is 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 51 

my staff, and on him I lean all the way. — Am I on my 
last journey to my long home ? He is my leader, and 
my reward. — Am I a sheep ? He is my pasture, and 
my green pasture too. — Am I hungry and thirsty ? He 
is my heavenly manna, and gives me to drink of the 
water of life. — Am I weary ? He is my rest and re- 
freshing. — Am I weak ? He is strength to them that 
turn the battle to the gate. — Am I oppressed and 
wronged ? He is my judge, and my avenger. — Am I 
reproached ? He will bring forth my judgment as the 
noon-day, and the reproach of his people he will wipe 
away. — Am I a stranger ? He is my shield. — Am I a 
soldier ? He is my Captain, and complete armour. — 
Must I fight in the field of battle ? He is my cover- 
ing in the day of war. — Do I sit in darkness ? He is 
my light. — In doubts ? He is my counsellor. — Am I 
ignorant ? He is made of God wisdom to me. — Am 
I guilty ? He is my justification. — Filthy ? He is 
my sanctification. — Am I dead ? He is my life, and 
quickens those that are dead in trespasses and sins. — 
Am I poor ? He is the pearl of great price, and can 
fill all my treasures. — Am I blind ? He, and none but 
he, can open the eyes of one born blind. — Am I na- 
ked ? He has white raiment to cover the shame of my 
nakedness. — Am I in the very utmost necessity ? He 
is a very present help in time of trouble. — Am I ex- 
posed to the hurricanes of adversity ? He is a refuge 
from the storm, a covert from the blast, as rivers of 
water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great 
rock in a weary land. — Am I afraid of being left 
alone ? He will never leave me, nor forsake me. — 
Do I wait the performance of the promise ? He is 
the yea, and amen of all the promises of God. — Do 
friends and brethren prove false ? He is the friend 
that sticketh closer than a brother. — Am I in danger, 
as to my outward man, from diseases and death.; as 



52 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

to my inward man, from sin and Satan ? My life is 
hid with Christ in God ; and when be shall appear, I 
shall appear with him, in my body immortal, and glo- 
rious in my soul — Is my cause tabled in the court of 
heaven ? There he is my Advocate. — Do I offend the 
Father ? With him he is my intercessor. — Do I suffer 
in my body, and am grieved in my mind ? He bare 
my infirmities, and carried my griefs. — Is my mind 
disquieted, and my soul debarred from peace 1 He is 
my feeling High Priest, and, in that he was tempted, 
knows to succour them that are tempted. — Am I in- 
jured in my estate, and reduced in my circumstances? 
He, the heir of all things, though he was rich, yet for 
my sake he because poor, that I through his poverty 
might be made rich. — Do I suffer in my character ? 
He was numbered with transgressors, called a Sama- 
ritan, a glutton, a wine-bibber, and a devil. — Do I 
suffer in the death of friends, the nearest and dearest? 
Well, he in the fatal night was left alone ; all the dis- 
ciples forsook him and fled ; and he, my only friend, 
can never die. — Must I undergo death, and be laid in 
the grave ? He has taken away the sting of death, 
and spoiled the grave of its victory. — Must I rot ? 
He shall be my resurrection, and raise me to immor- 
tality and bliss. — Would I go to God and to glory ? 
He is my way, and must admit me into the palace of 
the great King, where I shall abide for ever. 

In fine, he is my kinsman, my physician, my pro- 
phet, priest, and king, my father, head, and husband ; 
and hereafter, when I shall dwell in the land of bliss, 
in the city of God, he will be the light thereof; and 
since I am to worship there for ever, he will be the 
temple of the general assembly and church of the 
first-born. My wants are many, but his fulness is in- 
finitely more. The morning-dews and fructifying 
showers water the fields, and refresh the parched fur- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 53 

rows ; but what are they to the exhaustles ocean ? 
So what is all that I enjoy below (and yet with thy 
goodness I am satisfied) to the exuberant fulness of 
the heavenly bliss ? ! then, how shall my soul be re- 
plenished when possessed of this infinite all, through 
eternity itself!) 



MEDITATION XXV. 

PRAYER AND PRAISE. 

May 29, 1757. 
Prayer and praise is the employment of the two 
families of earth and heaven, the church militant and 
the church triumphant. Prayers is the native breath- 
ings of the heaven-born soul, the lispings of the child 
of grace, who, when grown to the stature of a perfect 
man in Christ Jesus, and taken home to his higher 
house, breaks forth into melodious strains of praise. 
Prayer suits the state below, and praise the state above. 
Here I am vexed with sin and temptation, with wants 
and infirmities, therefore I pray ; but there I shall be 
blessed with the removal of sin and temptation, of 
wants and infirmities; therefore I shall praise* Here 
God gives all, but for his gifts he will be inquired of 
by the house of Israel, that he may bestow them ; 
hence prayer is now my duty : But there he has 
given all things, and for his gifts he will be acknow- 
ledged by all the heavenly host ; — hence praise then 
is my debt. Prayer is the soul pouring out itself to 
God in a state of trial ; and praise is the soul's pour- 
ing out itself to God in a state of triumph. Now, as 
our life is a life of trouble, a complication of calami- 
ties, and a scene of affliction, prayer is more proper- 
ly our continual exercise ; for, " if any man is afflict- 
ed, let him pray ;" But on high, as all is peace, per- 
fection, purity, and joy, praise is most properly their 
exercise ; hence the hosts before the throne are said 



54 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

"not to rest day nor night" in praising him that sits 
thereon for ever. Yet as judgment is mixed with 
mercy, and our condition, however-calamitous, has 
something in it comfortable ; therefore praise also 
waits in Zion on the Hearer of prayer. The founda- 
tion of prayer is God's all-sufficiency and promise, 
and my insufficiency ; for if I needed nothing, I 
should ask nothing, even at the hand of God ; like 
those of old who said, We are lords, we will come no 
more unto thee; and as I must beleive that God is, 
if I come unto him so I must believe that God has: 
to give< and will give according to his promise, if I 
ask of him. , 

O divine exercise below ! for while I present my 
supplication, and narrate my grievances, 1 am some- 
times transported from these glooms of anguish to a 
mental calm and tranquility of mind, where 1 am filled 
with rapture, while 1 by faith forsee all my requests 
fulfilled, and the causes of my sorrow annihilated in 
his love. By prayer, the soul's embassy on the most 
interesting affairs is carried to the court of heaven, 
sometimes in broken sentences, devout ejaculations, 
pious aspirations, sighs, and groans. By it I reveal 
my mind to the Most High, ease my burdened breast, 
and devolve all my difficulties on God, and then com- 
posedly rest. This is the christian's evening and 
morning sacrifice to God ; but the prayerless person 
is the profane atheist, who denies adoration to the au- 
thor of his being I O 1 then, to be sensible of the ma- 
jesty of God, for fear of whom my very flesh should 
tremble ! 

O deluded Papist I why commit thy suits to angels, 
or departed saints ? Though they were concerned 
for thee, which they are not, yet, seeing they attend 
the throne of Grod in the highest heavens, they can 
neither know of thy complaints nor thee, unless pos- 
sessed of omnisciency, which it were blasphemous to 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 55 

suppose. But is not God every where, and fills the 
very heart ? As in him thou livest, movest, and breath- 
est, so in him thou thinkest ; and to him alone, through 
his beloved Son, thou shouldst pour out all thy com- 
plaints and supplications. Friends may be removed, 
acquaintance taken away, public worship without 
reach, liberty denied, I banished from my native land ; 
yet the soul and prayer must never separate. The 
royal charter is lodged within my breast, that I may 
be robbed of every thing sooner than of liberty to 
come with boldness, through the blood of Jesus, to 
the throne of grace. The wicked, through his pride 
of face, will not call upon God ; but it is my highest 
honour to be admitted into the presence of the King 
eternal, and to nave his ear open, and attentive to my 
request. What is the saint's prayer book ? Just 
affliction, and a body of sin and death lying hard upon 
him, and Christ, in all his divine offices and endearing 
relations. The first teaches him for what to pray, 
and the last to whom. In this divine exercise, God 
condescends to wrestle with his people, and in the 
struggle to be prevailed upon : "Let me go," says 
God ; " I will not," says the wrestler, " till thou bless 
me." In prayer God and the soul meet, and hold 
communion together ; then the curtain of heaven is 
drawn aside, that I may look in and see my large pos- 
sessions ; then do I get a glance of the King in his 
beauty, and a glimpse of the excellencies of the life 
above, so that I am filled with wonder, and desire to 
depart, and to be with Jesus. This is the well at 
which I drink the heavenly water, and am refreshed 
and strengthened for my journey. Lord, while al- 
lowed to come into thy presence with boldness, let 
secret sin (ah ! what avails it that the world does not 
know?) never cause a secret shame before thee. Mean- 
time, may I know in whom I believe, to whom I reveal 



56 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

my cause, and utter my complaint, and rejoice be- 
cause the day is approaching when I shall not need to 
ask any thing, because possesed of all. O eternal 
triumph ! when my prayers shall be turned into praise, 
my complaints into acclamations of joy, my mourn- 
ing, sighs, and groans, into hosannas and endless 
hallelujahs ; when beams of glory shall dilate my ra- 
vished powers of mind, and sacred plenitude over- 
flow my raptured soul for ever. 



MEDITATION XXVI. 

OX A BLIND BEGGAR. 

June 1, 1757. 

Poor man ! thou walkest in darkness, though pre- 
sented on every side with noon-day beams. Thou 
must commit thyself to the conduct of thy fellow 
creatures, and by them be led from door to door, see- 
ing 4 < those that look out at the windows are darken- 
ed. * Who can but sympathize with thy condition, 
and pity thee ? Poison unknown to thee may -be 
poured into thy cup ; thou mayest fall into the fire or 
the water, or the ditch ; mayest dash thy foot against 
every stone, and have the naked sword brandished at 
thy breast, while, ignorant of thy danger, thou makest 
no attempts to escape. 

How melancholy, then, the case of the men that 
are spiritually blind, that drink the cruel " poison of 
asps," that fall into every sink of sin, that run into 
every danger, rush u on the bosses of Jehovah's buck- 
ler," and oppose their hardened breasts against the 
naked point of justice's flaming sword ! And how sad 
that the persons in this condition, ignorant of their 
danger, should sport with wrath, and make a mock at 
sin? 

If we heard of whole nations struck blind, and 
not one left to lead another, but all perishing in this 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 57 

deplorable situation, how would we feel in the tender- 
est manner for them ! Now, are there not whole na- 
tions that sit in the region and shadow of death, that 
grope in the darkness, and never find their way to hea- 
ven ? For them, therefore, we should feel in a man- 
ner tender above expression, from the very bottom of 
our souls. To the benighted tribes, would not man- 
kind from every quarter of the globe, send to afford, 
them all possible relief? And should not all chris- 
tian powers exert themselves to their very utmost, to 
spread the saving knowledge of a Saviour among the 
heathen ? Could a man recover the blind, how would 
they gratefully accept the cure, and bless the healing 
hand ? But, in a land where life and immortality are 
brought to light, how many sit in the shade, and will 
not quit their gloomy cell for all the beauties of the 
day ? Happy those who have the eyes of their mind 
opened, and in his heavenly light see light clearly ; 
who see the deformity of sin, the beauty of holiness, 
the excellency of religion, the necessity of the new 
birth, the preciousness of Christ, and shortly, in the 
light of glory, shall see as they are seen. 



MEDITATION XXVII. 

LOVE IN SAINTS. 

Love is a passion implanted in the human breast, 
which once was wholly a right seed, but is now turn- 
ed into the degenerate plant of a strange vine. Ere 
sin entered into the world, love wholly centered on 
God ; then the fire burnt purely, and the soul ascend- 
ed in the sacred flame to God. Then there was 
sweet intercourse between heaven and earth, and 
man maintained communion with his -Maker. Ad- 
miring the beauties of creation, his soul with pleasure 
ascended up the streams of created excellencies, to 
he fountain of uncreated glory ; and, ravished with 
t 



53 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

the view, he saw his interest in his Maker to be of 
another kind than the lower world could claim. This 
was bliss, and it was this made paradise so near akin 
to heaven. This* and not the blowing floweFS ; this, 
and not the verdant groves ; this, and not the spread- 
ing streams ; this, and not the fragrant gums ; this, 
and not the bending boughs ; this, and not the warb- 
ling tribes ; this, and not a cloudless sky ; this, and 
not the sight of angels ; this, and not their mutual 
love, made our first parents happy in their first abode. 
But man no sooner admitted sin and Satan in, than 
God in justice drove him out of paradise, and from 
his station too ; and what tongue can tell his sad con- 
dition now ? His love is not only cooled towards God, 
but corrupted from God ; hence he worships the crea- 
ture more than the Creator, who is God over all bless- 
ed for ever. As the lion with terrible majesty hunts 
his prey through the trembling forest, while the spi- 
der, with silent cunning, catches the fly sporting on 
the window, or entangled under the web ; so, from 
the throne to the dunghill, every person pursues 
vanities adapted to his state, but quite destructive to 
his immortal soul. O how has man gone back by a 
perpetual backsliding ! God punishes it in an awful 
manner ; for as they like not to retain God in their 
knowledge, so God gives them up to a reprobate 
mind. They choose their ways, and God chooses 
their delusions. God is not in the counsel of their 
heart, and they are not under the conduct of his Spir- 
it. They provoke God to anger by their vanities, and 
he puts them to pain with vexation and woe. But 
what is still more to be wondered at, is, that after 
God has given the brightest manifestation of his in- 
finite love, in re-admitting the rebel into friendship, 
through the sufferings of his well- beloved Son, man 
should still pursue shadows, and pour his love on 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS, 59 

perishing trifles. And art not thou my soul, blame- 
worthy here, that art busied every day about vani- 
ties, but cold, key-cold, in love to the perfection of 
beauty." 

Surely the angels of light, and the spirits of just 
men made perfect, are surprised to see the expectants 
of the same glory, deluded, charmed, and enchanted- 
with perishing vanities, and not enraptured with the 
chiefest among ten thousand. The inhabitants of the 
better country despise our sun-burnt beauties, and 
worm-eaten excellencies ; yea, they would blush to 
mention our delights, or to take up the object of our 
love in their lips. What would a seraph care for the 
sceptre of a terrestrial empire ? or a glorified saint 
for the government of an earthly kingdom ? And 
why should I, then, care so much for less things, who 
in my expectations, am travelling to the same place r 
and rising to the same glory ? 

May I, then, for a moment draw aside the curtain 
of time, glance into the other world, and get a glimpse 
of the object of my love, Ah me ! the vision is too 
bright, the glory too refulgent for my feeble sight 1 
See all the heavens enlightened with his glory ; crown- 
ed with majesty divine, he fills his lofty throne, and 
sways the sceptre far through all existence. See se- 
raphim and cherubim bow before him, and mighty an- 
gels fall prostrate at his feet. Yea, see him in thy 
nature stand and plead for thee, not forgetful of thy 
need, nor deaf to thy distress, amidst his boundless 
glory. See approaching myriads, even the ransomed 
nations, sick of love, adore him in unutterable strains. 
And why dost thou not love him ? Thou canst not 
doubt his power, for he is God ; nor his compassion, 
for he is man ; nor his salvation, for he is God-man 
in one person. All heaven is eternally enamoured 
with him ; and it would be rebellion to bid them lift 



60 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

their love, and lay it on any other. The Father loves- 
him, angels love him, saints love him ; and it is plea- 
sant in the eye of God that the excellency of all ful- 
ness should dwell in him. Under how many ties am 
I to love him 1 for what he hath been, what he is, and 
what he will be to me ; for what he hath done, what 
he is doing, and what he will do for me. Before he 
made the world my salvation was secured in the sure 
decree ; thus with an everlasting love he loved me ; 
and why with loving kindness should'not I be drawn ? 
Then he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, 
and his delights were with the sons of men. 

Again, I should love him for what he is. But here 
words cannot express my thoughts, nor my thoughts 
my subject. He is the mighty God, on my side ! 
The Creator of both worlds, for me ! His perfec- 
tions are infinite, innumerable, and eternal ; he is 
self-existent, self-sufficient, oqptii potent, omnipresent, 
omniscient, unchangeable, and independent. He is 
holy* just, and good, merciful, faithful, long-suffering 
and compassionate. In a word, God is love; and 
love begets its like in the soul of every saint, who is 
filled with wonder at the person of Immanuel, who 
is every thing that they or I*can need. He satisfies 
every longing desire, performs every endering office, 
as a prophet, priest, and king ; fills every tender re- 
lation, as kinsman, friend, brother, father, husband. 
Love shall be the subject of my song for ever. 

Again, I should love him for what he will be to 
me. Now he will be my God even u»to death ; my 
shield and sun in the dark vale of dissolution. He 
will bring me into the palace of the King, with joy on 
every side ; will be my temple in the highest- heavens, 
and my portion through the endless ages of eternity. 

Likewise, how should I love him for what he has 
done, is doing, and will do to me ! — For me he hath 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDIATIONS. 6 1 

done great things, whereof my soul is glad. He has, 
by making his soul an offering for sin, satisfied justice, 
magnified the law, removed my guilt, and reconciled 
my soul to God. — For what he is doing : He is appear- 
ing in the presence of God for me, pleading my cause, 
interceding on my behalf, and offering my prayers with 
his own incense at his Father's throne. He is ordering 
all things well for me, perfecting what concerns me, 
hearing my petitions, marking my requests, numbering 
my groans, telling my w T anderings, and putting my 
tears into his bottle; and, as my feeling High Priest, 
sympathizing with me in all my afflictions. — Lastly, 
for what he will do : but who, besides thee, O God ! 
knowest what thou hast laid up for those that wait on 
thee ? Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor can 
the mostcapacious soul conceive, of that abundant bliss 
which only can be revealed in the enjoyment, and 
known in the possession. O happy day ! when T shall 
put off mortality, and this clay-tabernacle, and join 
the shining assembly of sinless adorers, whom he 
feeds and feasts with the fatness of the higher house, 
satisfies with his likeness, replenishing every power 
with his plenitude, and ravishing the whole soul with 
joy unspeakable and full of glory. 

Come, then, my soul 1 look from the height of per- 
ishing things to the mount of God, where every soul 
glows with sacred love, and dwells among the assimi- 
lating flames. Didst thou see a man of threescore 
years chasing flies and feathers, like the child of three, 
what wouldst thou think of him ? And while the world 
is thy chase, what, O my demitted soul ! shall I con- 
clude of thee ? Ransack the whole creation of God, 
and see if all its excellencies together can vie with one 
ray of his glory, one beam of his love : then let his 
love to thee constrain thy love to him, and thus begin 
the work of heaven on earth. 
6 



62 80LITUDE SWEETENED ; 0&, 

The perfection of bliss in heaven shall consist in 
the perfection of love, for love is the sum of felicity. 
Take away love from heaven, heaven could no more 
boast of its unbounded bliss. Life, light, love, are 
the trinity of perfection, and the perfection of the 
adorable Trinity. Of all the heavenly graces, love 
only returns to heaven, without any change, but of 
putting on perfection, and casting out fear. To dwell 
in love, and to dwell in God, cannot be separated; 
and the more I dwell in love, the nearer I dwell to 
God below ; and when at last I rise to the highest 
degrees of love, I shall arrive at the nearest commu- 
nion with God. 

Roll on, ye longed-for days, and come, thou ever- 
lasting dawn, that I may plunge into this sea of bliss, 
this ocean of eternal love, and know what it is to love 
him to the full, whom here I scarcely dare allege I 
love. 



MEDITATION XXVIIL 

LOVE IN GOD. 

Love in the saints is a noble grace, but superlative" 
ly glorious in God. On it angels look, and admire ; 
and I should look, and adore. Every thing in God has 
the majesty of a God. Hence his mercy is in the hea- 
vens ; his truth reacheth to the clouds ; his justice is 
like the mountains; his judgments are a great deep ; 
his pity is like that of a father ; his patience great to 
a miracle ; he is ready to forgive ; his goodness is 
abundant unto all ; and his love, in height, breadth, 
depth, and length, past knowledge. Although the 
mercy-seat that dwells so long between the cherubim 
of gospel-grace shall in a little be turned into the fiery 
throne of judgment, and long abused patience into 
indignation and wrath ; when the royal signet, that 
sealed the salvation of thousands, shall stamp the irre- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 63 

versible doom of an unbelieving world ; yet love in 
God shall undergo no change. Here, it shines as the 
morning-star, through the scattered clouds ; there, as 
the noon-day sun, in the illuminated regions of glory. 

l * From everlasting to everlasting ," is the epithet of 
3ove. A love without beginning and without [end, 
gives a bliss without limits and bounds. This amaz- 
ing love of God produces sweet similitude in the love 
of his saints; so that, as the one measures with the 
existence of God, from everlasting to everlasting, the 
other measures with the existence of the new crature, 
from the hour of conversion to all eternity. Their gifts 
shall end, their graces change, faith be turned into 
vision, hope into fruition ; but love shall neither end 
nor change ■; it shall heighten and brighten in the alti- 
tude of glory, when the drop is lost in the ocean, when 
the soul arrives at its centre, and rests, with ineffable 
complacency, and unknown delight in God. 

Again, O how free is this love of God ! nothing 
moving him to love. When we love, it is for some- 
thing we think excellent and agreeable to us ; but he 
loves the naked child when weltering in its blood, and, 
as a proof of non-such love, dresses, salts-, swaddles, 
clothes it, and makes it comely through his comeliness 
being put upon it. 

Again, his love is a full love. The oceans ebb and 
flow ; if at one time they cover the shores, at another 
time they leave their beds bare and dry ; but his 
love is perfect in its plenitude, notwithstanding these 
boundless oceans that have watered the whole uni- 
verse ; that have run in mighty torrents among the an- 
gelic and seraphic hosts above, and in amazing inun- 
dations among fallen men below. — Though there be 
repeated manifestations of love to his hidden ones, 
and thousands of his favourites feast on this heavenly 
food, while travelling through the howling wilderness j 



64 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

yea, though the egress of love, through the unnumber- 
ed ages of eternity, shall be continued to the glorified 
throng, still its ardour and exuberance will be ever- 
more the same. The ocean will not be one drop less 
for all the watering of the fields of bliss. After the 
Sun of Righteousness, through a duration in eternity 
beyond conception, and above the reach of thought, 
has illuminated the spacious continent of glory with 
his beams, not one ray, not one irradiation, shall be in 
the least diminished. 

Again, his love is efficient, active, and an operative 
love. 1 may love a fellow-creature, or an absent friend, 
and yet avail them nothing, nor they so much as know 
it ; but the love of God, like the light, reveals itself 
wherever it is. Love draws, and we run ; his love 
draws, and we run ; his love constrains, compels our 
love ; for a pardoned sinner cannot choose but love/ 
Wherever the heavenly spark falls, it sets the soul in a 
flame. 

Again, the love of God is a fixed and unchangeable 
love ; and the more the soul is in sorrow or distress, 
the more free and full are the communications of di- 
vine love. In the time of need, the world's love will 
give us the slip ; but in the most calamitous circum- 
stances, sacred love performs the part of two loves, 
and sticketh closer than a brother. Mortals' love (alas ! 
how many can attest the truth of this I) may to-day 
appear ardent, steadfast, and sincere, but to-morrow be 
entirely cooled ; yea, converted into slander, hatred, 
and revenge. But let all the sons of God know, that 
divine love shall be to them what the holy waters were 
to the prophet, ever on the increase, till it be an ocean 
to swim in forever. Against fears on every side this 
is comfort, that God will rest in his love. 

Divine love is also a benificent love. Jonathan 
loved David exceedingly, but could not do much for 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 65 

him, nor save him from being expelled his native coun- 
try ; but the love of God is fruitful of every blessing ; 
is the tree that bears all kinds of fruits that nourish the 
soul, and feast every power. The love of poor men 
can bring no advantage to the persons loved ; but 
when God sets his love upon a sinner, all at once, he 
who had nothing of late, has all things, life, liberty, 
friends, riches, glory, a kingdom ; sufficiency here, 
and all-sufficiency hereafter ; in a word, all that can 
be named, sought after, wished for, or thought upon. 
Then, ye sons of earth ! hug yourselves in the em- 
brace of wealth, and bless your own condition, but 
presume not that you are the favourites of Heaven be- 
cause his common providence pours upon you. As 
for me, may I be the object of this love, and, in spite 
of poverty, I am rich ; in spite of sin, I am secure, 
and walk on triumphing to the better country. 

But again, the love of God is an intimate love. O 
how the high and lofty One reveals the secrets of his 
covenant, and the sweets of his love to the soul, 
where he condescends to come and dwell ! When by 
the Holy Ghost, the love of God is shed abroad in the 
soul, what heavenly joy refreshes the whole inner 
man! "I know thee by name," says Job; " I be- 
seech thee show me thy glory," says Moses. The in- 
timacy begun in time, is the bliss of eternity, and in 
greater or lesser degree is the privilege of every be- 
liever. The more our fellowship is with the Father, 
and his Son Jesus Christ, the more of his divine like- 
ness we shall put on ; and in the other world, in the 
different degrees of assimilation to God, consist the 
different degrees of glory. 

Again, the love of God is infinite ; and what that 
is, none but an infinite being knows. Ours is a spark, 
his the sun; ours a drop, his the ocean. 

Again, his love is uninterrupted. Nat sin withift 
• 6* 



66 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

us, hell without us, nor satan acccusing us at the 
throne, can interrupt his love ; this is encourage- 
ment to serve him in spite of sin, and in the face of 
enemies. 

Lastly, his love is eternal. Heaven and earth shall 
pass away, but love will not. Time must end, but 
love attends the saints beyond the grave. Death cools 
the love of the nearest relations, but cannot separate 
from the love of God. Love is the quintessence of 
bliss, the heart of heaven, the joy of angels, the song 
of the redeemed, and the character of God. O happy 
day ! when I shall rise to enjoy love that transcends 
the glory of the redeemed, and all the anthems of an- 
gelic choirs ! 



MEDITATION XXIX. 

DISSOLUTION. 

If there is a time to rejoice, there is also a time, 
yea, many a time to mourn ; and God has set the one 
over against the other, that men may not forget them- 
selves. This day I have attended the funeral of a 
friend, who is carried away from his weeping widow, 
and fatherless children, who all bewail him ; yea, sighs 
may be heard, and sorrow seen in the countenances of 
his acquaintance. With all the pomp of woe we at- 
tend him to the tomb ; friends gaze wistfully as the en- 
vious mould conceals him from their sight. The cer- 
emonies are concluded, and all retire as concerned 
with him no more. — Though sea and land cannot sep- 
arate between living friends, yet three feet deep of 
earth separates betwixt the dead and the living, unties 
bonds, dissolves relations, and perpetuates the dis- 
junction. 

Poor woman I why dost thou weep ? Thy husband 
is not dead, but sleepeth. His weary dust is not car- 
ried to gloomy confinement, but laid to rest on a bed 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 67 

of undisturbed repose. He is delivered from toil, from 
trouble, and from sin. The sword of the foe cannot 
affright him ; the tongue of the slanderer cannot dis- 
turb him ; the envy of hell cannot distress him. Fire 
may calcine his lifeless ashes, but cannot consume his 
hope. Earthquakes may cast his body out of the grave, 
but cannot awake him out of his sleep. While thus 
his body rests, his soul triumphant reigns ; and having 
dropt his frail mortality, he is now as an angel of God. 
Reserve thy tears for more mournful times, nor grieve 
for him who is happier than thou canst conceive. En- 
viest thou for his sake ? Wouldst thou have him less 
happy, that thou mayest be less miserable i Though 
thou shouldst be drowned in sorrow, he is all song; 
and not the deepest anguish of bis dearest friends, 
though placed in his eye, could give him one moment's 
pain- interrupt the anthem, or mar the heavenly melody. 
Why should all thy mental powers suffer in the tempest 
of thy soul, because the gracious Pilot of souls from 
storms and tempests, darkness, and distress, racing 
seas and roaring winds, has landed thy friend safe on 
life's pacific shore? A little, and a friendly £ale shall 
blow thee after him : then spend not the short (who 
can tell how short !) interval in repining at his passage, 
but in preparing for thine own. Indeed, a word sad 
enough, thou art a widow. Well, God is the widow's 
judge out of his holy habitation, and can be better to 
thee than ten husbands. If faith be strong, thy refuge 
is not weak. Hast thou fatherless children ? leave 
them to God, he will preserve them alive ; and happy 
the orphans whose God is the Lord ! 

But what instructions should arise from the whole 
to me ? Why, I should live above this present state, 
because I am shortly to pass from it. NeitheT should 
I envy the worldling's heaps, or the increase of his 
glory, which cannot descend after him to illuminate 



68 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

the solitary cell. The inside of the royal sepulchre is 
as dark to the interred king, as the intermingling 
mould is to the meanest corpse ; and mortality is 
preached alike from both. None have a glorious pas- 
sage through the vale of the shadow of death, but such 
as walk in the light of his countenance, whose beams 
dispel the glooms of death, and guide them through 
the darksome step to bright eternal day I 

Again, in this man (and a few days will realize the 
scene) I see myself dead, buried, and forgot. And 
however fond our friends may be of us when alive, yet 
when we breathe our last, we must be buried out of 
their sight. O to have an interest in that best of 
friends, in that sweetest love, who, when the whole 
world casts us out, will receive us to himself. 



MEDITATION XXX. 

THE DEATH OF THE WICKED. 

The wicked and the righteous live a different life, 
and die a different death. Have not mine eyes beheld 
the melancholy scene ? — one posting into the unseen 
world, unprepared and thoughtless, unless conscience, 
though a long slumberer, be unwelcomely awaked at 
last. But perhaps he may sleep on in carnal security, 
till, stripped of fle&h, he plunge into the raging flames ! 
Have not mine eyes seen a dying person (methinks I 
see him still) tossing and tumbling under the gnawing 
pangs of some acute disease ; sleep departed from his 
eyes, on whose lids sat the shadow of death, calling 
often, and in a melting manner, for help from his phy- 
sician, but in vain ! Every power is invaded, every 
part besieged, and death denies a moments respite 
from the war. Yet we hear not one word of his eter- 
nal state, of his immortal soul ; nor one request for 
mercy, from God as reconciled in his Son. The world, 
3vhen well, was all his care ; nor can he alter> when 



MISCELIiA^EOUS MEDITATIONS. 69 

sick, his favourite schemes. As he listed he lived, 
and as he lived he dies. As the tree grows, so it falls. 
Then may I live to God, and die in God; — grow to 
grace, and fall to glory ! 

Friends and spectators are very much concerned to 
see him writhing under the agonies of death, and sym- 
pathize with every groan ; but for the most part look 
no further, nor pity his soul, that is in a little to fall 
into the hands of the living God. But the combat is 
increased, the attack is visibly more stout, and strength 
to resist is sensibly decayed. His friends, careful but 
too late, call mightily for prayer now ; as if God could 
be forced into friendship with the man, at his last mo- 
ments, who has been all his life his foe, or heaven won 
for him who never sought for it ; yet prayer is our du- 
ty at the last, but dangerous to delay to the last. At 
length, amidst insupportable agonies, he yieldeth up 
the ghost, and is no more. Attending friends pour 
out their sorrows in a flood of tears, yet are not a lit- 
tle glad to see his suffering body lie at rest ; and then 
they dress his stiffening limbs, and wound his lifeless 
clay. They are fondly ignorant of the state of his 
soul, and gladly hope the best. But will ye talk deceit- 
fully for mercy, to the injury of adorable justice ? At 
death, shall heaven be his possession who would not 
have a gift of it on earth ? Shall he dwell with God 
in eternity, who walked contrary to God in time, nor 
repented at death ? 

All is hushed, and those concerned are quiet again ; 
the tears dry up, and it is irreligious boldness to look 
beyond the grave. But mine imagination follows him. 
Forbear, presumptuous thought, and mind thine own 
concerns ! Ah ! I must peep into eternity, and, 
through the telescope of revelation, see him brought 
before the bar, and found to have lived and died with- 
out God! Ohl his fearful doom ! vengeance awakes 



70 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; Oil, 

against him, the vengeance of eternal fire, he is thrown 
into the flaming gulf of hell, where deep he sinks, below 
my venturous thought. His friends refresh themselves, 
and comfort one another, till they recover their wonted 
mirth and jocundity ; but not a drop of w r ater to cool 
his scorched tongue ! The ensuing night shall partly 
repay the watching and wakeful nights they have had 
about their friend ; but his eyes shall never shut, but 
keep open with ghastly stare, looking for the wrath, 
however much he feel, which is still " the wrath to 
come." Their sorrow gradually abates, but his anguish 
is ever on the increase. Our remembrance of him rots 
into oblivion, as his clay crumbles into corruption ; but 
wrath never forgets its prey, vengeance never forgets 
to afflict. 

Still my sympathy would penetrate the dark abyss, 
and look with pity on my damned acquaintance. — • 
Poor soul ! where is all thy usual mirth and merry 
jests ? are they now forever fled, and thine uninter- 
rupted exercise, unceasing howlings> and unavailing 
complaints ? Now thou art where sympathy avails 
thee not, where pity cannot enter ; no purgatorythis, 
through which thou shalt one time or other pass ; it is 
thy final doom, thy fixed eternal state. My troubled 
thoughts are weary among the shriekings of the damn- 
ed, nor longer can abide among these shades of hor- 
ror. Yea, now I am not bound to sympathize with the 
eternal, irreconcileable enemies of Jehovah and the 
Lamb. The day of grace is past, the hour of mercy 
over ; sin is finished, and hath brought forth eternal 
death ; despair is final, enmity consummate, and the 
breach is w T ide as the sea of eternitv ; who can heal 
it? 

Let me turn, then, my voice unto the sons of men. 
A few moments, and your state, like his, is fixed ; 
will ye, then, adventure not only to sport, but to sin 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 71 

away your time, which is so precious, and in which 
you are"*to make sure an happy eternity ? There 
are no offers of salvation beyond the grave ; there is 
no godly repentance in the pit. Now your misery has 
the heavenly bairn of God's mercy, and here mercy re- 
joiceth against judgment; but there your misery shall 
not, even in its longest duration and highest degree 
excite mercy, but rather awake fiercer wrath ; while 
in your agonies you blaspheme the awful avenger, who 
in the destruction of mercy-despisers shall rest satis- 
fied. Then give your eyes no sleep, nor slumber to 
your eye-lids, till you find a dwelling in your heart for 
God, and a chamber in his promise, an interest in his 
Son for your soul, that you may be hid in the day of 
visitation, and in the desolation that shall come from 
far. 



MEDITATION XXXI. 

THE TRAVELLER. 

Gentlemen of taste go frequently abroad; and it 
is so much in vogue to wander over some part of the 
world once in life, that he is hardly accounted an ac- 
complished gentleman that has not spent part of his 
time in climes and countries remote from that which 
gave him birth ; whence he returns rich in observa- 
tions, and mightily improved, having made an accu- 
rate survey among whatever people he came, whether 
as to the genius, stature, complexion, religion, laws, 
government, rites, and dress of the natives; or the 
merchandise, produce, rivers, soil, air, language, &c. 
of the country. And does this render men more 
agreeable company, to have glanced from head to 
foot, as it were, over only one page of the great 
volume of creation? for what is our earth in compari- 
son of God's handy works ? 

His observations must be few, since the shortness 



72 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

of his life forbids him to stay long abroad, unless he 
intends to drop his dust in the tour ; which Unhappy 
event has many a time sent sorrow across the seas, 
for the dear youth that shall see his native land no 
more. 

Now, to compare earthly things ,with heavenly, 
how accomplished must the soul be, that shall be an 
eternal searcher into the perfections of God, an en- 
tranced beholder of the beauties of paradise ; that 
shall take a tour throngh the fields of bliss, and be a 
traveller in the region of glory ! H this mole-hill 
heap be surprising for many things found therein, as 
mountains towering to the clouds, volcanoes vomit- 
ing melted fire, extremes of heat and cold, and crea- 
tures of tremendous shape and size, and all in this 
small speck of creation, what must the numerous ex- 
cellencies be of his kingdom, which is higher than 
the heavens ! O the beauties on the other side cre- 
ation ! O the glories that beam in pure essential 
day ! All things in time only improve us for one 
another in the things that are temporal ; but there the 
improvement is for eternity, and the mind enlarged 
for God. O happy day ! when I shall rove over the 
extent of paradise, lost in wonder, and ravished with 
delight, amidst his excellencies ! O the innate beau- 
ty of his laws, the glory of his reign, the splendour 
of his throne, the mysteries of his being and subsis- 
tence, and the wonders of his love ! the comely 
proportion of the inhabitants of the better country ! 
O the rivers of pleasures that water the true Canaan 1 
How pure the religion of the inner tempel ! What 
ecstacy and ravishment rise from beholding all these 
beatitudes, all these glories, as one interested in them 
all! 

Travel, then, ye sons of fortune, towards every 
wind ; rest not in the old world, but ransack the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 73 

new : Let nothing pass unobserved, and be delighted 
with the productions of the fertile Arabia, or the 
teeming Indies : Let the magnificence of the opulent 
East attract your attention, and the curiosities of the 
learned West gain your regard : Not satisfied with tha 
narrow appearance of this atom hung upon nothing, 
I wait for the dawning of celestial day, to commence 
an everlasting traveller through all the glories above. 
Surveying the perfections of God, I shall hold on 
my journey through unnumbered ages. In my tour, 
I shall find curiosities which could never enter into 
the conception of travellers below. Let them talk of 
the magnificent structure, or pleasant situation of the 
metropolis of every kingdom : I shall see the city of 
the mighty King* whose foundations are precious 
stones, whose w 7 ails are jasper, whose gates are pearls, 
and the streets and city pure gold, like transparent 
glass ; whose laws are love, and whose light is glory. 
I shall see the people that are immortal, and cannot 
die ; — a kingdom where every subject is a king, where 
every servant has a throne, and sways a sceptre. I 
shall see an assembly of worshippers, that are all 
priests, high priests, and are admitted into the holy 
of holies for ever. I shall see the blessed effects of 
death, and the ecstacies of men that spring from the 
agonies of our incarnate God. I shall see finite and 
infinite dwelling in one person, children of wrath made 
heirs of life, and the family of heaven married to the 
family of earth, yea, to the heirs of hell ! These are 
wonders to be wondered at, mysteries to be dwelt up- 
on, divine curiosities to be recorded on the table of 
my heart, and mentioned in the grateful accents of 
my song. Then hasten, Lord,, that day when I shall 
set out for eternity, and commence my journey, my 
immediate journey to thy throne, there to explore the 



74 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

adorable perfections of the Godhead, the mysteries 
of the Trinity, and all the glories of the upper world. 

MEDITATION XXXII. 

GRACE IN THE BLUSH, SIN NOT ASHAMED. 

It is one of the most surprising things that I have 
ever observed, That sanctity should be ashamed to 
look out, but iniquity to show itself at noon. Hence 
it is one of the greatest blessings pomised to the lower 
world, that " iniquity, as ashamed, shall stop her 
mouth ;" which supposes, that in bad times she has 
an impudent loquacity, both a whore's forehead in re- 
fusing to be ashamed, and the tongue of a strumpet 
in scorning to be silenced. Hence the company of 
rakes over their bottle, are not shy to open to another 
the mystery of iniquity in their most abandoned ac- 
tions, and to glory in their shame. But when do the 
saints of God in private conversations, to the praise 
of glorious grace, tell one another what the Lord 
hath done for their souls and rejoice in his good- 
. ness ? O deplorable degeneracy ! shall iniquity not 
only rage, but reign ; and righteousness, like the na- 
tives of a conquered kingdom, that dare not show 
their countenance among their new neighbours, lurk 
in secret ? Is this, professors of piety, your kindness 
to your friend ? Shall open rebellion against heaven 
be winked at by those that are maintained at the 
King's table ? Shall the words of sinners be stout 
against God, and your words not stout against them ? 
Who should be ashamed, if the sons of darkness are 
not ? Who should face the broad day, if the abet- 
tors of virtue do not ? Yet the one will avow the 
very practice of iniquity, the other hardly the profes- 
sion of piety ! The gentlemen of the army will dare, 
in defiance of the laws, to swear by the sacred name, 
while the ambassador of Jesus is ashamed to own his 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 75 

office, or avow his message, in reproving the open 
breach of heaven's eternal law. 

It is. the most unpolite appearance one can make 
in company now-a-days, to speak any thing of reli- 
gion, or let it be known that you are a Christian. — 
Better reveal the secrets of necromancy, and the 
arts of magic, than to speak of the depravity of hu- 
man nature, and the necessity of regeneration. If 
you speak one sentence in favour of godliness, the 
spiritual life, or heavenly-mindedness, it is hardly par- 
donable by the free-thinkers of the day. If you ad- 
venture to say any thing against the more prevailing 
and fashionable follies, every one will be on your top, 
and you will be set up as*& scare crow in the table- 
discourse of all your acquaintance, who will pity your 
frenzy, and pronounce you delirious. And if it comes 
abroad that you live near God, and above the vanities 
of time, you will forthwith be a gazing-stock to all, 
who will stare at you as if you were come from ano- 
ther world, and were not a fellow-creature. But if 
you keep silence at sin, smile at their peccadillos, 
and live in concert with the madmen of the world, 
you will be the best company, and the most social 
man alive. Thus, by continual scoffing, sin is grown 
brazen-faced, and religion wears the blush. Yea, 
some well-meaning men are sinful temporizers, by 
keeping silence, through the fear of men, which 
brings a snare, when they ought to speak. 

But remember, that they who are ashamed of the 
son of man before this adulterous and sinful genera- 
tion, of them (and how will ye like that ?) shall the 
son of man be ashamed before his holy angels. Be 
bold, ye sons of virtue, then ; maintain the rights of 
heaven against the troops of hell. Take courage to 
yourselves ; the cause is good, and conquest shall 
crown the stout contender in the quarrel of God. — 



76 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

Wherever sin, in the discourse of any, vilely vents 
itself, expose to shame the ugly monster. A conscious- 
ness of guilt is in it, and guilt is always interwoven 
with fear and shame so that it must surely blush ; but, 
if their seared consciences flout at thee, pity them, 
and warn them of the fearful awakening that awaits 
the long and thoughtless slumberer. If thou live 
near God. live undisturbed, though the lips of malice 
exclaim against thee as, an hypocrite, as one full of 
ostentation, or a brain sick fanatic. 

I know the cause of silence in many a pious soul 
is, lest they should be left to fall away from what they 
have so zealously espoused, to the dishonour of reli- 
gion, and opening the mouths of enemies to blas- 
pheme. But beware of circumscribing the grace of 
God, lest he measure to thee according to thine opi- 
nion of him. Never let the fear of falling into sin in 
some future time, drive thee from thy present duty ; 
for, to neglect present duty is present sin. If thou 
shalt fall from the support of his declarative glory, he 
may cut off from thee the supplies of his grace, and 
make that which thou unjustly fearest, justly come 
upon thee. Be for God in thy day of integrity, and, 
God shall be for thee in the day of temptation. Ex- 
ercise thy grace for his praise, and his grace shall 
always be sufficient for thee. 

Alas ! after all that can be said, there is still room 
to complain ; for, if this detestable taciturnity that pre- 
vails in our day, increase as it has done for some time 
past, it will not be long till there will not be a word 
of religion in the mouths of the inhabitants of this 
isle. But, may this spiritual captivity be turned as 
suddenly as streams come rushing from the south 
hills, when there falls a heavy rain. 

Such is the deplorable indifferency about divine 
things among the sons of men at this day. O, when will 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 77 

matters mend ? when shall religion be openly avowed 
as an honour to the rational soul, and everyone speak 
of God, and for his glory ? Let the Spirit be poured 
out from on high, and the wilderness turned into a 
fruitful field, and the fruitful field rise into a statelier 
forest. And let Israel take root downward, and fill 
the world with fruit. Then shall iniquity, as ashamed, 
stop its mouth, and hide its head; then judgment shall 
dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in 
the fruitful field. Such (O to see them !) should sure- 
ly be some of the glorious days of the son of man. 



MEDITATION XXXIII. 

GOING TO A FAIR. 

The heavenly mind has this advantage, that it can 
spiritualize every business, and moralize all occur- 
rences of life. As, then, I am this day going to a fair, 
let me call to mind the comparisons, or the similitude 
betwixt this market and the market of grace. 

1. From all quarters men come hither; so is it in 
the market of grace. 2. None are hindered to come 
here to merchandise ; so is it in the market of grace. 
3. All kinds of goods are to be found here ; so is it in 
the market of grace. 4. Parties meet here, bargains 
are made, and business done ; so is it in the market 
of grace. 5. Numbers are to be found here, who 
cannot tell what brought them hither ; so many attend 
the ordinances from custom, to see, or to be seen. 
6. The fair is by public authority ; so is the market 
of grace. 7. Some stand all day idle ; so is it in the 
market of grace. 8. Some go home with large profits; 
so do all they that rightly improve the market of grace. 
9. But some return immense losers ; so must they 
that slight the market of grace. 10. Thieves, tink- 
ers, and pick-pockets, attend here to ruin honest 
folk ; so Satan, sin, and worldly cares often rob us of 
7* 



78 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

spiritual things in the market of grace. 11. Dealers, 
returning home, converse wholly on the course of 
their business through the day ; so they who have found 
the true riches, the pearl of great price, in the market 
of grace, will speak, think, and meditate much thereon 
ever after. 12. This fair is but of one day ; so the 
market of grace comes to an end, and people may 
outlive the day of grace ; therefore, every one should 
embrace the present offer. 

But how great the excellency of the one above the 
other I 1. All things here are for the body ; there all 
things are for the soul. 2. Nothing here goes without 
money ; but all things in the glorious market of grace 
are without money, and without price. 3. If 1 sit my 
market to-day, 1 shall repent to-morrow ; but the 
market'of grace is continued to many poor souls many 
years. 4. Without the one we may live ; but wanting 
the other, we must die. 5. It is indifferent whether 
we buy or not, here; but, in the market of grace, we 
must be dealers, or we dishonour God, and sin against 
our own souls. 6. To take goods here without money, 
is dishonesty ; but, to offer our pelf for the merchan- 
dise of heaven, is damnable. 7. We plead and press 
for commodities at a low price here ; but God impor- 
tunes, and presses us to buy the gold tried in the fire, 
that we may be eternally rich. But O how are the 
men of the world assiduous about the affairs of life, 
while they neglect the great concern! Well do we 
know what makes for our behoof, as to the things of 
time ; but how careless are we with respect to the 
things of eternity ! A shower will excuse from walk- 
ing two miles to a sermon ; but a very rainy day will 
not deter us from this place of business, though three 
times the distance. O corrupt nature i that counts it 
a great deal of happiness to meet with merry compa- 
nions, to drink, rove, ramble, see, and be seen. But 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 79 

how far beneath the dignity of the human soul, to for- 
get itself amidst a hurry of trifling concerns for a tran- 
sitory life ! 

It is, indeed, the duty of all men to attend to their 
business, and guide their affairs with discretion. — They 
may meet, therefore, on days appointed for that pur- 
pose ; but when the mind gets a wrong set, by the 
vanities that are to be seen there, is infected with a 
roving disposition, and can trifle awa^y time that is so 
precious, and must so punctually be accounted for ; 
when men continue till liquor inflame them, how far 
is this beneath the Christian character ! It should be 
our constant care, then, wherever we go, whatever we 
do, to bear the omniscience of God in our mind, that, 
while we manage our business with discretion, we may 
serve our Gdd with undestracted devotion. 



MEDITATION XXXIV. 

AFTER SICKNESS. 

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his kind- 
ness unto me ? The sorrows of death compassed me 
about, the pains of the grave took hold on me ; my 
feeble joints were made to smite together ; disease 
attacked every part and rapidly prevailed. — Mine 
eyes, with languid looks, spoke forth mine inward 
trouble. My throbbing heart spread sense of pain 
through every member, and vexing dreams disturbed 
my night's repose. But what was all this to that con- 
fusion my sympathizing soul was in ? No composure 
there. I could not meditate with calmness on my 
final change, that seemed to await me ; nor could I 
inquire aright into the case of my soul, that I thought 
would soon be dislodged this body, and brought before 
the bar of God. Hence I learn, that health is the pro- 
per time to prepare for sickness, death, eternity. The 
new, the spiritual life, is too late in beginning, when 



80 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

the lamp of natural life is about to be blown out, Yet 
the men of the world postpone the most momentous 
business to their last moments. O ! my soul, come 
not thou into their assembly ; with their procrastina- 
tion, mine honour, be not thou united ! 

But what shall I render to the Lord for adding to 
my days ! I yet live, yea, and am well. The canopy 
of the heavens might have been converted into the 
crumbling clods, or covering worms ; the light of the 
world into the shadow of death, and time into eterni- 
ty ; and my broken strains of praise into perpetual si- 
lence ; for the living only can praise thee, as I do this 
day. By how many ties am I thine ? I am thine to 
all eternity, because redeemed from everlasting wrath ; 
and thine while I dwell below, because redeemed from 
temporal death. Many times, before I could expect 
it, deliverance came, and mercy prevented me. Shall 
thy goodness be forgot, or thy love seem little in mine 
eye ? No, for should not that life be spent to thy praise, 
that is preserved by thy power, restored in thy pitying 
mercy, lengthened out in thy love, and covered with 
thy protection ? Death, with his malignant troops, is 
now again discharged the field, and I almost a prison- 
er of the grave, set at liberty, before I was fast locked 
in the irons of corruption. Was my life precious in 
thine eyes, who am of so little moment among so ma- 
ny millions of beings dependent on thy throne ? Would 
I have been missed among them, if removed ? No ; 
yet thy never-failing kindness would not, as yet, let me 
drop among the congregation of the dead ! How should 
my love live to thee, whose love to me is so active, 
exuberant, and full I With the recovery of my health, 
let every grace revive : and let my soul, as a watered 
garden, be put into a flourishing condition. And, if 
spared to old age, when others fade, may I bring forth 
fruit, be fat, and flourishing. Yea, in the last decline 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 8 1 

of nature, when my outward man decays, let my in- 
ward man be renewed day by day ; may my views of 
his glory be more bright, my faith more active, my 
hope more fixed, my heart more established, my affec- 
tions more purified, my desires more heavenly, my 
longing after complete fruition, and uninterrupted 
communion with God, increased, and my soul set on 
fire of love, and filled with heaven, till I, at last, am 
taken into that land, where the inhabitant shall not 
say, I am sick, because the people that dwell there 
are forgiven their iniquity. 



MEDITATION XXXV. 

FRAMES OF SOULS VARIABLE. 

It is the greatest display of spiritual folly to build 
on a frame. A frame, is a certain heavenly disposi- 
tion of the soul. Now, to rest on any thing in our- 
selves, is to destroy ourselves ; for the noblest attain- 
ment is to go wholly out of ourselves, and rest on- 
ly on Christ. If I do otherwise, I provoke him to 
remove, by placing the effect of his presence in the 
room of himself, and then my mountain, which I 
thought stood so firm, is immediately removed ; God 
hides his face, and I am troubled. Heavenly frames, 
and glorious manifestations. I should seek, not to rest 
upon, but to be refreshed with. Christ may come 
into a frame, but I ought to beware lest I keep the 
frame, and let Christ go, who is to be sought for him- 
self, found in himself, in the promise, in his unchange- 
able love, and not in a frame. 

To have a cold, insensible heart, is a comfortless 
condition ; but, to have Christ, who always brings 
melting of heart, and a revival of graces with him, is 
good, and is a prelude of the happiness to come. — 
When I prefer the attendants to their prince, and hug 
these when I should honour him, this is the way to 



oZ SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

make him withdraw bis visits, and refuse to come 
again till I confess my folly. Hence am I chasten- 
ed with so many changes in my soul ; sometimes 
standing on Mount Pisgah, then grovelling in the 
valley of Achor; sometimes walking in the light 
of his countenance, then going mourning without the 
sun ; sometimes admitted with boldness to his throne 
of grace, where he fills my mouth with arguments, 
then finding a cloud spread on his throne, that my 
prayer cannot pass through, nor I order my speech 
by reason of darkness ; and all this to chasten my 
folly, and make me adore his sovreignty, who comes 
and goes at pleasure. Of such a place, and such a 
time, one may say, It was Bethel, the house of God, 
and a time of love ; but neither the Bethel of God, 
nor the time of love, is to be the confidence of the 
soul, whatever comfort it may afford. The God of 
Bethel, the God of unchangeable love, is to be the 
strong tower to which every believer must always re- 
sort. To live by faith, is more noble and more safe 
than to live by sense. 

Now, in these things, God teaches me to esteem 
him more than any thing from him ; the enriching 
hand that gives, more than the gift that enriches ; yea, 
to depend more on his permanent promise, than on his 
passing presence. For, though the one should be 
pleasant, like the voice from the excellent glory on 
the mount of transfiguration, yet the other is the 
more sure word of prophecy, of inspiration, to which 
at all times we should betake ourselves. And this 
we should remember, that the continuation of that 
ravishing frame of soul (a gale of which sometimes 
the favourites of heaven feel blow through their mind) 
is reserved for the happier state above; but it should 
occasion the extremest sorrow, if we send away our 
beloved, who is willing to abide with us " till the day 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 83 

break, and the shadows flee away." — This I may learn, 
that it is good to hold him in the promise, whatever 
be the condition of my soul. O deplorable imperfec- 
tion ! When he is absent, despair begins to appear ; 
when present, spiritual pride is ready to spring up. 
But while he in wisdom comes and goes, it keeps my 
soul in exercise, going forward and backward, to the 
right hand and to the left, in quest of him, restless till 
I find him. Thus the soul is prevented from sitting 
down on a sinful security, or falling asleep in the arms 
of downy delusion, perhaps to awake no more. Yea, 
this exercising of my soul keeps every grace active ; 
his coming hinders me from falling into the low dun- 
geon of despair, whence I might come up no more ; 
and his going away prevents my climbing the slippery 
precipice of spiritual pride, whence I might fall and 
break all my bones. 

I desire, both in temporals and spirituals, to make 
the dear prophet's triumph of faith mine ! " Though 
the fig-tree should not blossom ; though my graces 
should seem languid, and low ; though darkness should 
sit down on my soul ; though he should keep back 
the face of his throne ; though my soul should forget 
her prosperity ; though, when I pray and cry, he should 
shut out my prayers ; though Satan should roar at me, 
temptations rendezvous against me, corruption rage 
within me, and hell gape for me ; yet I will rejoice in 
the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Yet 
I plead that thy presence may cheer me in the wilder- 
ness; for if thy presence go not up with me, I shall 
never be able to go hence. But may thy Spirit dwell 
within me, and seal me to the day of redemption. 
Then my joy in believing shall be turned into an ec- 
stacy of beholding the Godman, in all his amiable 
perfections ; then frames of soul shall be sinless, 
holy, and screwed to the most elevated height of rap- 



84 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

ture and delight ; then I shall praise without interrup- 
tion, and adore without distraction. 



MEDITATION XXXVI. 

THE UNCONCERNED SPECTATORS. 

Sorrow is the continual attendant on human life. 
Every day, to some poor sufferer, is darkened with 
distress, and yet the spectators are frequently no more 
concerned, than if the patient were only to set out 
from the city to his country seat. Were a king com- 
ing to sit in judgment on a beloved friend, and to ex- 
amine strictly his actions upon life and death, could 
we shake ourselves free from a thousand agitating 
thoughts ? dislodge our breasts of anxious fears, and 
many a fervent wish ? Now, when a person is pin- 
ing on a sick bed, or expiring on a death-bed, the 
King of kings seems to mount his judgment-throne, 
and order this arrested pannel into his tremendous 
presence, where the examination will be strict, and 
the trial issue in eternal life or death. And yet how 
trifling often is the discourse of the attendants! how 
jocular and sportive their talk ! But, O ! if the in- 
visible world of spirits would flash full in their face, 
if but all the disembodied souls of their acquaintance 
would start up around them, how would they stare 
and be distracted ! though they can now dance about 
the grave, and laugh amidst the glooms of death. — 
To this invisible world their friend seems fast going, 
and they in spite of all their stupidity are fast follow- 
ing. YVhen I look into the bed, and see my poor fel- 
low-creature in that humbled state, it excites my sor- 
row ; and when I look round the company in their 
apparent incredulity of a future state, it so moves my 
compassion, that I am at a loss whether most to pity 
the dying, or deplore the living. 

But, my soul, be not thou an idle spectator also. — 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 85 

Know the sentence, that all must die, reaches thee as 
well as others. Perhaps death has the summons in 
his hand already, or ia filling his quiver with arrows for 
the decisive battle ; nay, he may be placing an arrow 
on the bended bow, to sink the sickening shaft into 
thy heart-strings. 

" Man that is born of a woman is of few days ;" 
this all the nations know ; " and full of trouble ;" 
this I daily find. " He cometh forth as a flower," 
frail and fading ; " he fieeth also as a shadow," quick- 
ly gone, and quite forgot. I carry death in my mor- 
tal body, which, like a fiery spark concealed within, 
will sooner or later lay the house to ashes. 

It is but a small thing to grapple with death, to en- 
ter the list with the King 1 of terrors, or be enclosed in 
the gloom of the grave ; but it is another thing to en- 
ter into a world of spirits, to launch into an unknown 
and endless eternity, and see God face to face. Ro- 
man fortitude may dismantle itself of cla^y, defy the 
grave and brave death ; but nothing but a well-ground- 
ed faith can carry one calmly, cheerfully, and comfor- 
tably, into a fixed, a future state. 

The things of life are of small account at death. — 
What can riches do, but encumber with too much 
splendid care, and troublesome attendance ? What 
can a character do but publish his decease ? What 
can opulence and honour do, but give a pompous fu- 
neral, and a costly tomb ? What can friends do, but 
weep about the bed, and bewail their dying relative ? 
But thy love, dear Lord, can enlighten my passage 
through death, and lead me safely to my Father's 
house. 



MEDITATION XXXVI. 

DEATH A BLESSING TO GOOD MEN. 

Why so much complain of death ? It is true, it is 
8 



86 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the fruit of sin, for by sin came death into the world; 
but it is also true, that it is the finisher of sin to the 
godly, for by death sin shall be cast out for ever. — 
Sin, conveyed to us in our conception, is so interwov- 
en with the human frame, that the tie must be dissolv- 
ed betwixt the soul and body, before a full and final 
separation can take place between the soul and sin. 
Who, then, would fear the furnace that is only to con- 
sume the dross, that the gold may come forth with- 
out alloy ? What candidate for heaven would be averse 
to lay down mortality, in order to take up immortality ? 
to put off this corruptible, in order to putonincorrup- 
tion ? to have his body sown in dishonour, in order to 
be raised in honour and glory ? and to have the soul 
dislodged from his body, that sin might be dislodged 
from his soul ? W T hy, then, should I be displeased at 
such a glorious exchange ? To lay down frail flesh, 
feeble nature, all my lusts and passions, occasions and 
temptations to sin, my infirmities and imperfections, 
and to be clothed with perfect beauty and eternal glo- 
ry, might rather transport than perplex me. Where- 
fore tremble at the ghastly gloom, that shall beam in- 
to a boundless noon ? or startle at the dark step that 
shall usher me into eternal, day ? If my separation 
for a few years from my friends, issue in uninterrupted 
communion with God, is not the change most happy ? 
If my distant views, and dim glances of the land afar 
off, and the King in his beauty, pass away, that the 
nearest approaches, most steady views, and brightest 
visions, may eternally take place, am not I a gainer 
to the highest degree ? Then, Lord, take away the 
sting of death, and at thy appointed time, through 
faith, I shall fly into his arms, not dismayed at his 
cold embrace, burning with an heavenly desire to be 
for ever with the Lord ; which is far better than all 
the happiness of crowns and thrones below. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 87 



MEDITATION XXXVIII. 

MERCY GOING BEFORE GOD, MAKES MEETING HIM A MERCY. 

1757. 
God and I must meet ; there is a day appointed for 
it ; and surely the thoughts thereof would be like 
death, and worse, were I not assured that mercy goes 
before his face. Why, them should I be afraid to 
meet with God, since mercy goes before his face ? 
Mercy means no ill — will do no harm — displays the 
flag of peace — proclaims the manifesto, that u mercy 
shall be built up forever." But how shall I know 
that mercy goes before his face ? Because truth goes 
hand in hand with mercy ; and the veracity of truth 
forbids me to doubt the certainty of mercy. How 
must the heart of a guilty rebel rejoice to find that 
pardon is proclaimed by his offended sovereign ? — 
Mercy and truth are the best means of preserving the 
kings of the earth, and when they exercise it. their 
throne is upholden by mercy ; but the King of hea- 
ven, in every act of his administration, preserves mer- 
cy and truth, and in them establishes his throne. The 
King of kings will never go without his royal retinue, 
his life-guards ; mercy and truth shall form the van ; 
justice and judgment support his throne ; infinity, 
eternity, and immutability carry his crown ; power 
and omnipotence bear the robe of royalty ; wisdom 
and righteousness hold the regal sceptre ; goodness 
and holiness unfurl the flag of majesty ; graciousness, 
long-suffering, and patience, proclaim his sacred name ; 
and love encircles all the flaming train. In every cir- 
cumstance, then, I can be in, I have comfort ; for, in 
his providence towards me, mercy goes before him, 
and it works for my good ; yea, even in my afflic- 
tions, mercy goes before him, and I am chastened, 
that I may not be condemned with the world. Thus, 
mercy is the precious ointment that, in all things, at 



88 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

all times, and in all places, casts its pleasant scent 
abroad, and perfumes his conduct towards me. And 
whenever, or wherever I meet God, whether in the 
dissolving pang, or solemn appearance at his bar, I 
shall find him a reconciled Father, and all his bowels 
yearning on the son of his adoption. Neither the 
hour of death, therefore, nor the day of judgment, 
shall terrify me. u But I will sing of the mercies of 
the Lord for ever ; with my mouth will I make known 
thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, 
Mercy shall be built up forever ; thy faithfulness shalt 
thou, in the sight of all the ransomed nations, estab- 
lish in the very heavens V* 



MEDITATION XXXIX. 

THE NECESSITY OP AFFLICTIONS. 

Jan. 28, 1758. 

I complain without a cause, seeing it is good for 
me that I be afflicted. Whatever be food to the soul 
surely affliction is physic ; and if there is a necessity 
of the one to preserve life, there is a necessity of the 
other to preserve health. Can a much-esteemed flow- 
er think that it is unkindly dealt with, because the 
weeds that twisted with its roots are plucked away 
with force, such force that the flower seems to be pul- 
led along ? just so am I displeased at severe afflictions, 
sent to root out some rampant lusts* or deep-rooted 
earthly affections, when afflictions less severe would 
prove ineffectual for such a noble end ? Corruption 
is not totally removed, it is only subdued in part ; but 
the more I am afflicted, the more it is subdued. 
Neither is grace perfect here ; but the more grace is 
exercised, the more perfect it grows. The better 
part never suffers in affliction; for, even when it is so 
ponderous and crushing, that under it the outward man 
decays, and wastes away, yet the inner man is renew- 
ed day by day. For very shame, can I take it amiss f 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 89 

thai my sins are mortified, my lusts subdued, my fond 
and foolish desires reprimanded- my afflictions purged, 
my eager grasp of created things 'oosed, and that I 
am, by line upon line, affliction on the back of afflic- 
tion, instructed of the vanity of all sublinary things ? 
Again, dare I be displeased, that, by various, repeat- 
ed, and uncommon afflictions, and from sinful instru- 
ments too, my faith is tried, my patience and resigna- 
tion proved, my love and esteem of heavenly things 
heightened, and all my graces improved, invigorated, 
furnished to the glory of God, and advantage of my 
own soul? 

Every new trial is like a new combat set to the val- 
iant hero. If he comes off a conquerer, it is another 
trophy to all his former victories, and a fresh display 
of his military skill in the eyes of enemies and friends. 
There never was a traveller to the throne of God, but 
pursued his way through the thorny path of affliction ; 
and yet there is not, this day, one person in all the 
august assembly of the higher house, that has the least 
complaint upon the hardships or afflictions that befel 
him by the way. — Why should I, then, so much com- 
plain of the deep steps and rugged roads, the stormy 
days and dark nights, that distresses me in my pilgri- 
mage, seeing that, when I shall see things in the light 
of glory, I shall approve of all; and the storm of hail, 
claps of thunder, and midnight-gloom, shall only add 
to the variety of the subjects, and multiply the stanzas 
of my eternal song. 

While here below, the intoxicating juice of carnal 
pleasure breeds diseases ; so that the bitter potion of 
affliction is absolutely necessary to dispel those infec- 
tions which threaten damage to the soul, Since it is 
not my happiness to be free from sin below, it is my 
happiness that I am not without afflictions, which are 
a noble antidote against sin. I have reason to bewail, 



90 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

bitterly to bewail, the corruption of my nature, but 
not the correction of my corruption. Were I punish- 
ed as I deserve, instead of being washed with the soap 
and nitre of castigation, I would be swept away with 
the besom of destruction. What condemned criminal 
would rage at the loss of a finger, who deserved to 
have lost his head ? So why should I repine at a lit- 
tle ill, who deserve a great deal worse ? Indeed, at 
all times, and in every case, 1 should not look to the 
hand of God, but into his heart ; not barely look upon 
the providence with fear, but into the promise with 
faith ; where, be the providence adverse or prosperous, 
to my comfort I am told*, that all tilings work together 
for good to God's called and chosen ones ; and if my 
fluctuating breast is composed amidst all my sorrows, 
by a firm belief of the promise, that happy moment I 
find the promise performed to me ; and aver, with the 
royal sufferer, ?« It has been good for me that I have 
been afflicted." 



MEDITATION XL. 

SAINTS UNKNOWN, STARS UNSEEN. 

Feb. 14, 1758. 
As there are stars in the sparkling firmament of 
heaven of different magnitudes and glory, so there are 
saints of different stations in the church of God. 
Some, like stars of the first magnitude, point out the 
way to bliss ; while others, like stars of a second, 
third, and fourth magnitude, sparkle with an upright 
walk, and heavenly conversation, and condemn a 
wicked world. All these glorify God, as it were, in 
an active manner ; but there is another class of his 
precious ones, who glorify God only in a passive man- 
ner, compared to others. These are the secret, pri- 
vate, and retired Christians ; who, like the stars that 
lie concealed in the amazing voids of space, and never 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 9 1 

strike the naked eye, nor seem connected with our 
system, are only known to God. But as the glory of 
God's creating hand, though less visible to us, is as 
really displayed among those stars that he has stationed 
so sublime, as among those which he has dropped near- 
er to our earth, so he is glorified by the private, as 
well as the public Christian ; and the resignation of 
the one to the divine disposal may be as acceptable to 
God, as the more active labours of the other. How is 
God satisfied, so to speak, to see his creature wholly 
at his command ; his will moulded into the will of the 
Most High, his desires measured by heaven's distribu- 
tion of mercies, and his ambition only to be like God. 
Here the whole man, with his whole concerns, is 
wholly devoted to God. Here rebel thoughts are 
slain, and the unknown saint only waits the will of 
God to fall in with fully, freely, and without reserve. 
Such a heart God dwells in, and such a soul is his throne. 
Nothing pleases God better, than when all he does 
pleases his people. Thus the soul ripens for glory, 
and a sacred interesting correspondence is carried on 
between the heart and heaven. The man rolls him- 
self and all his concerns over on the indisputed will of 
him that cannot err. Nothing can go wrong with the 
man, because divine wisdom orders all for him ; yea, 
what he thinks hard in itself, if he have no sinful hand 
in it, he embraces and submits to, because of him that 
sends it. He, sounds God's praise loudest, who, is si- 
lent before God. While the profession of some is 
blazing, the love of his soul is burning. While others 
march heavenward in the broad day, and before the 
wide world, this is a walk within doors, in his own 
house at home. Of all things, grace grows best in 
retirement, and, like Jacob, when left alone, he wres- 
tles with the angel of the covenant, for olessings to 
himself, his family, the church* and the whole world. 



92 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

lie is not less circumspect that not an eye is on him, 
hut keeps clean hands, from a clean heart ; not 
like the painted hypocrite, that must be religious for 
credit's sake. He has his conversation in heaven, 
and his communion with the Most High. Happy is 
he in his life, happy at his death- for he lives with 
God, dies in the Lord, and goes to be forever with the 
Lord. 



MEDITATION XLI. 

THE EXCELLENT HAPPINESS OF THE BLESSED. 

Spithead, May 21, 1758. 

Time is short, and eternity is long; yet, in this 
short time, I must prepare for long eternity. O! 
what a duration is before me ! but what an infatuation 
is within me, that I should mind the trifling things of 
time, and forget the interests of eternity ! Truly, 
when I compare eternity and time, I am astonished 
that eternity does not swallow up time in my concerns 
and meditations. With what night- visions, deceptive 
phantasies, and delusive dreams, are we entertained 
here, in comparison of that divine understanding, in- 
tuitive knowledge, noon-day discoveries, vigour and 
activity of soul, we shall be possessed of, when we 
awake to immortality, from all the slumbers of a tran- 
sitory life! And yet (wo is me !) am I not more anx- 
ious to grow in earth, than to grow for heaven ? Will 
not the fear of temporal losses at times outbalance the 
joy I should have in believing ? While God and glory 
have a passing meditation in my heart, have not the 
vanities of the world a permanent mansion ? Does not 
worldly sorrow take deeper root in my soul than spi- 
ritual joy ? And were my thoughts counted one by 
one, while vanities reap the whole harvest, sacred 
things have scarce the tythe! Is this, alas! the beha- 
viour of a candidate for bliss, the practice of an ex- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 93 

pectant of glory ? One thinks least on what he loves 
least : O mournful conclusion ! that 1 love God least, 
since he is least in my thoughts ! But, let me rise in 
my contemplation, and see the goodly hosts of the 
ransomed nations, dwelling in the noon-day display of 
his glory, possessed of pleasures free as the fountain 
whence they flow, and full as their unlimited desire. 
Their souls are replenished with the most refined sat- 
isfaction, sacred delight, and substantial joy. What 
an august assembly are the inhabitants of the better 
country ! wearing crowns, holding sceptres, reigning 
on thrones, walking in white, exalted in their natures, 
their conceptions bright, their visions cloudless, their 
thoughts elevated, their songs transporting, their hap- 
piness confirmed, their love burning, and all their 
powers entranced forever ! 

Seeing such, and much more (for eye hath not 
se0n, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into 
the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up 
for them that love and fear him) is the happiness of 
the triumphant throng, who have the substance, mar- 
row, and kernel of bliss, no wonder to see the saints 
setting their affections on the things above, and long- 
ing to join the happy company. 

What, then, though it be a steep ascent to the 
mount of God, since verdant arbours, and a blooming 
paradise, are on the summit of the hill. A prospect 
of the heavenly state might make me lie, without re- 
pining, in the dungeon of a prison, till the very mo- 
ment I were brought to the palace. What though I 
bear my cross till the day I wear the crown ? or die 
daily, till Christ, with whom my life is hid in God, 
appear, and I appear with him in glory ? Should any 
thing below move him who has his portion above ? 
Should the pleasures of the world, which are but 
painted clouds, and airy appearances, entice him, or 



94 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the troubles of the world terrify him, who is in a little 
to take his eternal farewell of both ? Let adversities 
keep close at his heels, heaven has an open door for 
him- into which, while they must stand without, he 
shall enter, and remember his misery no more. Hence 
let it be my daily study to waik in the view of a world 
to come, till that happy day when (O wondrous 
word !) I shall enter into the joy of my Lord. 



MEDITATION XLII. 

ONLY A RUMOUR HbUARD OF THE TRIUMPHANT STATF. 

Spithead, May 22, 1758. 

This thought is now come into my mind, that the 
triumphant state of glory is but little understood, even 
after all the divine descriptions given thereof in sacred 
revelation. Not that God cannot tell, but man cannot 
hear ; for when Paul was caught up to the third hea- 
ven, and had his ear opened to hear the Hosannas of 
the higher house, he says, he heard ineffable things, 
which it was not fit- proper, or becoming for a man to 
reveal, because the language of eternity cannot be 
adapted to the dialect of time. — After all the pleasing 
and glorious metaphors used to represent eternal feli- 
city, still there is a deficiency- though neither from 
the fulness of that felicity- nor the divine Relator, but 
from us who hear. Were the definition too refined, 
the relation too sublime, we should not be able to 
comprehend it. Therefore, things that make up the 
excellencies of this lower world, on which men fix 
their esteem, place their delight, and settle their affec- 
tions, are chosen to adumbrate it. Hence it is called 
a kingdom, for there the King Eternal keeps his 
court; there majesty and honour, glory and renown, 
are before his face ; there are vast dominion, noble 
privileges, sweet society, and mutual connexions. 
But as a kingdom is subject to anxiety and change, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 95 

therefore it is called a crown of life, a crown of glory, 
that fadeth not away ; an eternal clay, where saints 
shine as suns ; a royal palace, where there is unceas- 
ing harmony, and divine delight; an inheritance in light, 
and an house not made with hands, eternal in the hea- 
vens. And as .paradise, or the garden of God, was 
the sum of created perfection, whence the first Adam 
was driven, so the heavenly state is called paradise, be- 
ing the place where the brightest display of uncreated 
glory is given, and whither the second Adam, Lord 
of all, as a public person, has entered. Gems, pearls, 
and precious stones, which men wear on their hands 
and heads, are but the metaphors of their streets and 
walls, which are far more excellent than those things 
that shadow them out. What, then, must be the li- 
berty, the privileges, the happiness of the inhabitants! 
But as death destroys all possessions, and darkens the 
brightest day, therefore this is a state of most perma- 
nent bliss, immortal life, eternal vigour, and perpetual 
bloom. But as to live alone is not consistent with 
complete happiness, or congruous to the human soul, 
that is not made to be alone ; so in the better country 
there is an innumerable company of angels, the gene- 
ral assembly and church of the first born, and God, 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in whose presence is 
fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures 
forevermore. Rivers of living water, and the tree of 
life bending with fruits of paradise, set out the suffi- 
ciency, satisfaction, and redundancy of spiritual re- 
freshment and delight that abound there. 

But still, there is something in the blessed state 
above, which supplies the soul with the fullest tides of 
serenest rapture, ecstacy, and joy, of which all these 
descriptions of felicity come infinitely short; and that 
is, vision and fruition of the Lamb, participation of 
the divine nature, living in and with God, andcom- 



96 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

munion with Jehovah, screwed up to the highest pitch 
of divine intimacy, carried on through eternity in an 
uninterrupted out-going of the soul towards her su- 
preme and chief good, and receiving the divine ema- 
nations of all his adorable perfections, breathed by 
the Holy Ghost into all the panting, .enlarging affec- 
tions, and powers of the sanctified soul! But what 
this is, who can tell ? How shall finite and infinite 
meet ? Will God in very deed dwell with man and 
in man? Shall man in very deed dwell in and with 
God ? Shall a finite spirit have communion with the 
Father of spirits ? Oh ! what remains to be revealed 
in that exalted state, which has not yet entered into 
the heart of man ! Prepare, my soul, prepare for 
that felicity to come which is sufficient to satisfy with 
transport and delight ten thousand heavens of sera- 
phim, much more my shallow mind. 



MEDITATION XLIIL 

PHILOSOPHY. 

Spithead, May 27, 1758. 

Tkuly philosophy is a study much commended, 
and deserves it in its various branches. Where the 
works of nature are narrowly surveyed, they fill the 
mind with wonder and delight, and prove that their 
Creator must be God. 

O! says one, how the study of astronomy exalts the 
soul ! And then he expatiates on the starry heavens, 
or firmament of suns, with their dependent planets, or 
worlds unseen, and carries on his fruitful theme, till 
his lectures have filled the extension of space with 
spacious habitations for intelligent, though unintelli- 
gible beings. But, to leave the philosopher to his 
own conceits, true or false, there is a study which as 
far excels it, as it excels the ignorance of the illiterate 
rustic ; and rises infinitely higher in the object of ita 



'MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 97 

wonder, and subjects of its inquiry ; and this is, the 
sacred study of religion, which is the wisdom that as 
far excelleth, not only folly, but philosophy, as light 
excelleth darkness. The philosopher's themes are 
high in comparison of him who is only amused with 
mean, low, sordid, and selfish things (and if not our 
highest themes, they are allowable ;) but how low and 
grovelling, in comparison of divine perfections, which 
entrance the meditant, and transform the student. 
The philosopher, not content with the earth to cir- 
cumscribe his studies, grasps at the extended heavens ; 
but the christian, content with neither, seeks after him 
whose throne is higher than the heavens ; " Whom or 
what have I on earth but thee ? whom or what have I 
in heaven but thee alone, O Lord?" 

Philosophy describes created light ; but religion, 
leads us to the Father of more excellent lights, and 
supereminent glories. Astronomy struggles with the 
laws of the stars, disclosing to us the wonders of the 
sky ; but divinity brings us beyond them, to him who 
counts their number, calls them by their names, and 
holds them in his hand. This explains the labour of 
his hand, that explores the love of his heart. The one 
leads us to see the palace, the other to behold him 
who dwells in the heaven of heavens, in eternity un- 
known. Let the philosopher dwell all his days upon 
the solar beam, its vivifying and fructifying influences, 
its quick transition to our earth, its curious intermix- 
ture of colours, while nothing is discernible but light; 
I say, though he should spend all his time on these 
studies, yet it shall never alter his countenance, or 
give a visible external lustre thereto ; but Moses, 
when only forty days in the mount with God, receives 
such a stamp of divinity on his soul, and such a tinge 
of the celestial beauty on his countenance, that the 
$kin of his face did shine. Nor was this Moses' privi- 
9 



98 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

lege alone, but the privilege of every saint in every 
age: U. We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass 
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the 
Lord.' 1 An holy life or communion with God, not 
only changes their appearances, but the place of their 
abode; for though the earthly philosopher remains 
still below, yet the spiritual philosopher translates his 
seat above, dwells on high, has his conversation in 
heaven ; yea dwells in love, and therefore dwells in 
God, for God is love. 

Thus the pious soul, who dwells alone, and is not 
reckoned among the sensible or polite part of the 
people, may improve to a miracle in divine knowledge, 
while the most penetrating philosopher, unless skilled 
in this, must leave his studies in the midst, that have 
amused the more knowing part of mankind, and at his 
end shall be a fool. While others increase in know- 
ledge, may I increase in love ; and while they arrange 
the stars into their several houses, may I be taken up 
about the bright, the morning Star. — Let them de- 
scribe the heavens, and all their signs ; I will, with 
the boldness of faith, draw near to him, who spread- 
eth them as a curtain, and stretcheth them out as a 
tent to dwell in. While they see a thousand beauties 
in the sky, " which is strong, and as a molten looking- 
glass," I will fix the eye of my sr*ul on a more glori- 
ous looking-glass, the face of Jesus, and there see 
brighter displays of much diviner glory. Let the sun 
be the subject of their theme, as well as the centre 
of their system ; but I will adore the Sun of Righte- 
ousness, whose beams outshine created lights, and il- 
luminate benighted souls, though the bright lamp of 
day could never pierce the eyes of one born blind. 
Choose you the worlds unknown for your studies, I 
will choose the world to come for my meditation. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 



99 



O how is sacred love to be aspired after ! As it is 
the fulfilling of the whole law, so it is the attainment 
of all philosophy ; for he that loves God most is the 
wisest man. O ! then, ye virtuosi, while ye increase 
in knowledge, may I increase in love ! Let every 
spark kindle into a flame, and the flame at last burn 
divinely bright through everlasting day. Your nice 
definitions of dark things, rack and torment you ; but 
such studies as these improve, compose, and satisfy 
my soul. Finally, when the end shall come, all your 
flourishing themes shall flash flames in your affrighted 
faces, or tumble down, while ye stand trembling amidst 
the mighty ruins ; but from the subjects of religion, 
the dread catastrophe shall only remove the darkening 
veils, sweep off the dimming clouds, and let eternal 
things shine forth in all their nati\e beauty, and essen- 
tial glory. Then, though here I have seen through 
a glass darkly, I shall see face to face ; and though I 
have been but learning the first principles of the oracles 
of God, yet, then shall I be admitted to the university 
of angels- the college of perfected and accomplished 
worthies, where lessons of divinity, worthy of the high- 
est seraph, shall be our eternal study, and delightful 
exercise above. 

Now, how excellent is practical religion, for its sub- 
lime subjects, divine virtue, and eternal duration ? 
The subjects that this spiritual philosophy treats of, 
are God in his attributes, perfections and glories ; his 
works and providences ; redemption in its contrivance, 
finishing, and application, by the Father, the Son, and 
Holy Ghost : the soul in its worth and immortality ; 
and the other world, in its certainty and perpetuity. 
Again, religion is excellent, because it enobles the hu- 
man soul, clothes it with a true greatness, decks it 
with the beauty of eternal day, prepares it for glory 
and for God, portrays tho images of heavenly things 



100 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OB, 

on the inward part, assimilates to the Son of God, and 
makes partaker of the divine nature. And, lastly, its 
duration is eternal : Tongues must cease, and thrones 
be cast down, but the subjects of religion shall remain, 
and be enlarged upon forever. 



MEDITATION XLIV. 

A WICKED THING TO DEPART FROM GOD IN THE LEAST. 

Cancalle Bay, June 19, 1758. 

The Lord is with us while we be with him, but 
when we forsake him, he hides his face, and departs 
from us, that we may not depart from him any more. 
It is dangerous to let the soul out of the sacred set, 
the heavenly frame ; for the inclination being carnal, 
the affections corrupt, the will stubborn, and the heart 
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, it is 
with much ado the rebel is brought back again to his 
obedience. Moreover,' the soul, above all things, re- 
ceives a tinge and resemblance of that with which it 
is most conversant : hence the carnal mind holds not 
with its carnality, but even turns enmity against God; 
while the soul that beholds the glory of the Lord, is 
changed into the same image, from glory to glory. 

Again, the nearer the soul is allowed to approach 
to God, the easier it is kept with God ; but the further 
it removes from God, the faster it flies from him ; like 
a stone tumbling down a mountain, the velocity of 
which increases according to the distance it has fallen; 
and which at last, with amazing rapidity, rolls to the 
lowest bottom of the valley. So defection is made by 
degrees. First our love cools ; then our delight in 
God and in religious duties languishes ; then our 
watch against sin and short comings is slackened ; 
then we count the service of God a weariness ; then 
our mortification of lusts is superseded; then the 
performance of religious exercises proves a burden; 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 101 

then our affections grow carnal, and our meditations 
vain ; then sins appear, and we view them, first, with 
no great degree of abhorrence, secondly, with a friend- 
ly eye ; then we dally with them, and then turn open- 
ly and avowedly profane. This has been the case 
with some, once, shining professors. But when the 
saints have gone back from God, though mercy will 
not let them fall finally and totally away, yet what 
rueful thoughts, what despairing groans, what melting 
complaints, what terrors of conscience for a time, what 
penitential sorrow and breaking of heart, what dreary 
back-looks on their backslidings, what anguish, re- 
morse, and pain, what inward vexation, and trouble of 
mind, to think how they have sinned against God, 
thought little of his love forgot his goodness, and 
buried his mercies in oblivion, have chastised their 
mournful departure from God ! till their heart is swept, 
by the Spirit of grace and consolation, of all these ter- 
rible storms, and filled with joy and peace in renewed 
acts of believing. 

But, again, as the soul leaves God in sin, so God 
may leave the soul in justice, and measure its way in- 
to its bosom. He may punish sin with sin ; our go- 
ing away from him, with his going away from us, 
and permitting us to go further away from him. 
He may justly deprive us of the mercy which we 
prize not as we ought. When we will not hear 
him, though he stands at the door and knocks, 
yea, puts in his finger by the hole of the door, he 
may not hear when we pray before the throne. 
We think little of that unspeakable privilege of being 
allowed to walk with God, but it is a mournful thing 
to walk without him, if once we know what it is to 
walk with him. — We should watch our ways, guard 
against the beginning of our wanderings, the first 
straying of our thoughts from God. For by sad expe- 
9* 



102 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

rience I may say, that the heart that fixes not on God, 
is tossed to and fro, up and down, like the locust, 
seeking rest in many things, and finding it in none. 
But, Oh ! that when I have flown out of the ark upon 
the flood of vanities, I may not, with the raven, ere I 
return to the sacred resting-place, sit down on dead 
and despicable objects, as corrupt in their kind as the 
carrion floating on the face of the waters, but, with 
the nobler dove, return to him whose arm of mercy 
can pull me into the ark again, and encircle my soul 
with his favour, and make her rest with vast delight in 
his unchangeable love. In thy sovereignty and love, 
depart not thou from me ; and in thy mercy, let not 
me depart from thee. Hold me by thy right-hand, 
and my soul shall follow hard after thee, till thou al- 
io west thyself (O condescendency !) to be overtaken 
in vision and fruition, where I shall no more fall away 
from thee. 



MEDITATION XLV. 

WHO THE GREAT MAN IS. 

Cancalle Bay, June 19, 1758. 

He that bears a commission from his king, that is, 
a peer, a privy counsellor, or a minister of state, is ac- 
counted a great man. Now, if being near the throne, 
and conversant with the king, makes a man great, 
clothes him with renown, procures him reverence and 
respect, loads him with popular applause, and encum- 
bers him with splendour and pomp ; with how much 
more divine and durable honour is the saint aggrandi- 
zed, who, though alone from the world, dwells with 
God; and though not known among the busy crowd, 
resides about the throne ! The high and lofty One who 
inhabits eternity, gives his royal assent to their peti- 
tions, and will not say them, nay ; yea, " his secret is 
with them that fear him, and he will show them his 
covenant." This is greatness indeed, to be in fa- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 103 

vour with him who is a terror to kings ; with him to 
whom kings and their subjects are less than nothing, 
and vanity. 

How are the humble saints exalted in their privileges 
above the grandees of the world ! The King eternal 
is not only their Friend, but Father ; and the Prince 
of the kings of the earth is not only their benefactor, 
but their Brother, which relation is secured for eterni- 
ty. Again, his gifts are according to his divine digni- 
ty. None of the kings of the earth can bestow on 
their dearest friends, and most faithful servants, crowns 
and kingdoms. They may indeed divide their own 
among them at their death, in some countries, but in 
no country can they secure the donation, when dead, 
or perpetuate the conveyance. But his favours, who 
lives for ever to see them bestowed, are crowns and 
kingdoms, a crown that fadeth not away, and a king- 
dom that cannot be moved. Yea, his gifts enrich the 
soul and measure with their existence. 

Monarchs may cause their favourites' names to be 
registered in the list of their privy counsellors, and 
other honourary rolls, but cannot prevent their being 
buried in oblivion ; but the names of all the saints are 
written in the Lamb's book of life, and shall be con- 
fessed before an assembled world. It is more to know 
God than to be acquainted with kings ; — to be known 
of God, than to be commended to the ends of the 
earth. 

Now, what thinkest thou, O poor despised saint of 
God ! that dwellest in a cottage which the great men 
would not stoop to step into, to be so high in the fa- 
vour of heaven, that a divine guard of heavenly angels 
are set about thy house, that no ill can come near thy 
dwelling ? Yea, the sacred retinue, though unseen, 
attends the saint wherever he goes, who walks unob- 
served through the world. Did the royal life-guards 



104 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

of the young princes, the rising heirs of heaven, ap- 
pear in the shining livery of him who is the Father of 
lights, they would terrify the inhabitants of the earth ; 
but there is a greater wonder, that even the Sovereign 
of eternity should condescend to be the watchman of 
his people, and keep their going out, and preserve 
their coming in, so that neither the moon by night, nor 
the sun by day, shall smite them ! And what comfort 
and security is this, that the eternal God is thy refuge, 
and underneath the everlasting arms ! Such, O saint ! 
is thy renowned state, thine excellent glory, who per- 
haps are kept at short allowance of food and raiment 
both, with a young and needy family sitting heavy on 
thy mind ; but God careth both for thee and them. — 
What then, though thou hast crosses of every kind to 
meet with, bitter draughts of every composition of 
drink, since it is well with thy better part ? Yea, 
afflictions capacitate thee for felicity, and enlarge thy 
soul for bliss. But I dare appeal to thine own breast, 
O child of God ! under all thy troubles, falsifying 
friends loss of relations, or any other grief, if thou 
wouldst change thy calamity with the flourishing con- 
dition of the wicked ? 

Now thou art great (for the saints, since they live 
near God, are the greatest men in the world) and 
perhaps knowest it not ; but, let thy greatness kindle 
thy gratitude, not increase thy pride. To keep the 
saints humble, divers afflictions are allotted them in 
this life ; as a royal father, fearing lest his son, the 
young prince, under his present grandeur, and pros- 
pect of the crown, may swell beyond himself, deals 
so hardly with him, that oft he fears the king intends 
to disinherit him ; yet so many bright displays of pa- 
ternal affections assure him it shall not be so ; and 
the truth is, it is out of love, that he may not mount 
the throne with unsubdued passions, or sway the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 105^ 

sceptre in thoughtless folly. So it fares with the 
saints, who should know, in the celestial promotion, 
that it comes neither from the east, nor from the 
west, not from works of righteousness which we have 
done, but it is God alone that exalteth. My life, 
then, is a paradox ; I am mean, but great ; misera- 
ble, yet happy ; poor, but possessing all things ; a 
beggar, and a prince ; but eternity shall unriddle it, 
taking away the one part, and illustrating the other. 



MEDITATION XLVL 

WE SHOULD SLEEP NO LONGER THAN TO REFRESH THE BODY. 

Cancalle Bay, June 20 3 1758. 

Lono sleep in any man is blame-worthy, but in a 
candidate for glory it is a sin. I may indeed rise in 
time to manage my temporal affairs, as I am seldom 
behind hand with the world ; but what improvement 
make I for eternity ? " He that loveth sleep," though 
in worldly things, he may sustain no loss, yet in spi- 
ritual things a shall be a poor man." When I have 
a long journey to go, I can get up early in the morn- 
ing, and take the day before me. Now, I am on a 
more momentous, and immensely longer journey, 
even to eternity, which cannot be delayed a day; 
therefore, I have need, to take the day of time be- 
times, the day of health and life beforehand, ere the 
shadows of darkness overspread me, wherein no man 
can walk, or the night of death overtake me, wherein 
no man can work. 

Alas ! allowing that I shall number three score 
suns, how far am I already advanced towards noon ! 
how little of the half do I want I a year or two. 
The past time is lost, the future uncertain ; but eter- 
nity is certain and approaching. When I look back, 
how many healthy hours lost in sleep, superfluous 
sleep, stare in my face ! And now that I am con- 



106 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OB, 

vinced of the preciousness of time, shall I squander 
it away in sleep ? Too late at the bottle, and too 
long in bed, are sins of a deeper dye than either the 
tippler or sleeper will allow. What will I think, if 
sickness render me unfit for any thing, if infirm old 
age confine me to my crazy bed ? How will I look 
back with sorrow on vigorous youthful hours lost in 
sleep ! hours which might have been improven for 
eternity, and spent in communion with God. Did a 
friend, whom I dearly love, come early in the morn- 
ing to visit me, would I not rise to entertain him, not 
knowing how soon he might go away ? Shall 1 then 
give the Beloved of my soul worse entertainment 
than my friend ? Sleep is a kind of death ; therefore, 
when I sleep, how can I have communion with God, 
for God is not the God of the dead, but of the liv- 
ing ? He, out of sovereignty, may speak to man in 
a dream, in a vision of the night ; and sometimes 
the dreams of his people have been divine, so that, 
when they awoke, their sleep has been sweet ; but 
the duty of saints is to seek him with all the activity 
of their soul, in the full exercise of all her powers ; 
with the psalmist, to awake themselves early, that 
they may praise him ; to prevent the dawnmg, that 
they may pray to him. How am I to blame, that in- 
dulge long sleep ! See the labourer go early to the 
field, the hireling to his work ; and shall I lie in bed, 
like one that has less to do than they ? Did my dear- 
est Lord continue on a mount alone, all night in pray- 
er to God for me, and the like of me ; and shall I 
not praise him early ? The royal Psalmist could shake 
himself from his midnight-slumbers, to join in the 
work of heaven ; and shall not I rise in the morning? 
Thus, indeed, 1 think I am punished, that the more 
I indulge myself in sleep, the more I would sleep. 
The hosts above rest not day nor night; and I should 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 107 

rest only to refresh my body, not to ruin my soul. 
Alas ! I have not only long sleep to lament, but that 
I slumber my time away, when awake, without lift- 
ing my eye to God. Pity, in all respects, O Foun- 
tain of mercy ! one that in all respects deplores him- 
self. 



MEDITATION XLV1I. 

OUR ONLY JOY IN VIEW OF THE WORLD TO COME. 

Under sail^ June 22, 1758. 

Verily, O worldlings ! I pity you. Now you seem 
to be great, and full of glory ; but, though you shine 
without, there is an awful blank within. If in this 
life only I have hope, I should of all men be most 
miserable; for the greatest thing I could either hope 
for, or desire below, are trifling in comparison of the 
great and glorious things of eternity that I aspire af- 
pire after. What good would my life do me, did I 
not live to die, that I may live for ever ? What would 
my time be, but a rotation of toils and troubles, did 
it not afford me an opportunity to prepare and improve 
for eternity ? How would every forethought about 
this present life trouble me, did not the solid hope of 
a future world sustain me ! 

As for my part, I would not wish a worse hell, than 
that my habitation among the wicked in Mesech, with 
my unsubdued corruptions and carnal affections, were 
perpetuated. But I know in whom I have believed, 
and that he will not delay to gather his scattered 
sheep together, that there may be one Shepherds and 
one flock, in the fields above. Eternity is already 
begun in my soul, and my inward part is refreshed 
with foretastes of fruition ; hence my thoughts take 
wing beyond the bounds of time, and dwell (though, 
alas! too short) amidst the glories of the better world. 
Hence I am contented with my present state, and. 



108 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

would not change with kings ; hence the early beam- 
ings of that blessed day, when my Beloved and I 
shall meet, to part no more, refresh and ravish all my 
soul ; hence I triumph amidst all the transitory scenes 
of sorrow which I labour under, and am not moved, 
either by unjust reproach, or vain applause. O the 
emptiness of this present world ! but O the excellen- 
cies of the world to come ! Faith and hope cut down, 
and fetch me some of the first ripe fruits, some of the 
grapes of Eschol. Surely, this world were a wilder- 
ness to me, did I not look on myself only as a travel- 
ler through it, as a way-faring man that shall tarry 
therein but for a few nights. 

There is a restlessness in my breast, that shall 
never be removed till I rest in God. Yea, even now, 
God is the resting-place of my soul, otherwise I should 
be tormented with strong pain, and torn with agonies 
of mind. Yet the most pleasant calm and tranquility 
I enjoy here, through the imperfections of this state, 
and remaining corruption, is far from being complete 
at best, and oftentimes is interrupted ; but the rest I 
wait for, is refreshing, perfect, and eternal. 

Hasten, then, the day when thou shalt descend to 
mount thy glorious throne, and appear the second time 
without sin unto salvation ; when thou shalt accomp- 
lish all my desires, fill my longing soul, admit me to 
the nearest communion, and satisfy me with the sub- 
limest bliss. For this I impatient wait ; and in the 
mean time lay up my treasures in heaven, where I 
dwell by hope, and have taken up my mansion by faith 
in the promise, till the day of my solemn removal 
come, when, by the divine command, I shall be carri- 
ed over to the land of rest. 

Miserable they who have no joy in the prospect of 
a world to come, without which I should be swallow- 
ed up of sorrow ; who find their pleasure, and place 



3D 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 10 

their happiness, in the painted trifles of a momentary 
life, but are tortured with the thoughts of eternity, 
and put on the rack if they glance beyond the grave. 

MEDITATION XLVIII. 

ON THE SCRIPTURES. 

Under sail, near Jersey, June 23, 1758. 

An entertaining history, or a striking description 
of some famous battle, will challenge our attention, and 
cause us to light another candle : but a small portion of 
the scriptures suffices us ; yea, some are more taken 
with a well written romance, than with all the inter- 
esting truths of the word of God. This is a lamen- 
tation, and shall be for a lamentation. 

Ah ! how am I to blame that do not more value 
this invaluable book, where the style is lofty, the im- 
ages striking, the figures beautiful, the harmony con- 
spicuous, the subjects of infinite moment, and the 
glory of God the scope of all. Here corruption 
and grace are portrayed to the life, the struggles of 
the old and new man set forth in an instructive light. 
— Here are arrows that pierce the stubborn heart, and 
balm of comfort for the bleeding soul. Here kings 
are taught how to reign, and princes how to judge ; 
and here is an unerring directory for churches in their 
public, and Christians in their private capacities, to 
walk by. This is the armoury of heaven, from which 
I may be furnished with weapons for my spiritual war- 
fare ; for the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. 
Like a kindly comforter, it stills my complaints, chases 
my sorrows, cheers my sinking spirit, revives my hope, 
strengthens my faith, and sets me above the hurri- 
canes of time. This feeds me with manna ; not the 
manna of the wilderness, of which all who ate are 
dead, but the divine manna, preserved in the golden 
pot of the promise, laid up in the ark of the cove- 
10 



110 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

nant of grace, for all the chosen seed. Surely " thy 
words were found of me, and 1 did eat them, and thy 
word was the joy and rejoicing of my heart." This 
is the only food that can support the strength of the 
traveller heavenward. This makes my table so well 
furnished, and so richly spread, in presence of my 
foes. With this my cup overflows ; and this is my 
daily allowance from the King's table, till the day I 
am admitted to sit at table with the King. " The 
words of thy mouth are better to me than thousands 
of gold and silver. I rejoice at thy word as one that 
finds great spoil." Without this sacred book 1 should 
have no happiness here, no hope for futurity ; for it 
is the Christian's charter for the glorious inheritance 
above. It is my directory in all conditions, at all 
times, in all difficulties, amidst all companies, and in 
all places. To be condemned to read a human com- 
position again and again, would be intolerable ; but 
to be debarred from reading the scriptures, would be 
death. They are always savoury and refreshful to 
the spiritual taste ; as the traveller drinks at the stream 
that attends him through the desert, as often as he is 
parched with thirst, and finds it always refreshful. 
Those truths, which at one time we read with a belief 
that they are divine, come at another time, when the 
Spirit breathes on them with such power, that in them 
we hear God talking with us, and our heart burns 
within us. 

Here time is bounded, and eternity brought forth : 
the world set on flames, and the new creation formed; 
here heaven and earth talk together, God and man 
converse ; here conscience is accosted, thoughts dis- 
cerned, and secrets brought to light ; so that it is 
both full of eyes, and dreadful round about. 

This is the light of revelation that dispels the dark- 
ness of corrupt nature, shows me the world to come 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 1 1 1 

as present, sets the judgment-throne, sounds the trum- 
pet, gathers the nations, passes the sentence, and 
brings in eternity. Yea, from this sacred volume, I 
may learn on what hand I shall stand, and what my 
sentence shall be in that tremendous day. 

May I build for myself a dwelling in the word of 
promise, which shall stand when the hail shall sweep 
away the refuges of lies. From this dear book will I 
choose my songs in the house of my pilgrimage; and 
will count myself happier with a few promises from 
it, than if possessed of sceptres, crowns, and king- 
doms. This is the window out at which the Beloved 
looks; the lattice through which he shows himself, 
till the day break and the shadows flee away. In a 
word, this sacred word is the beauteous day-star that 
gives the pleasant dawn, till the Sun himself arise* 
and shine in the firmament of glory. 



MEDITATION XLIX. 

TRUE JOY. 

At anchor, St. Helens, July 4, 1758. 
Sometimes, indeed, I am amazed at the joy of sin- 
ners, while those who have the greatest cause of ex- 
ultation are rather too sad. Yea, I wonder that, on 
due consideration, joy of soul bursts not my mortal 
frame. Though I should never think highly of my- 
self, yet I should never think lowly or meanly of the 
manifestations of the love and favour of God. What 
shall I, then, think of this quiet of mind, this peace 
of God that passes understanding, pouring into my 
soul, and giving me the life of a prince, while one 
would be ready to conclude that I lived like a prison- 
er ? — What of this dwelling under the smile of Hea- 
ven ? this joy that I have in believing ? these trans- 
forming glances of glory, which give a sweet antepast 
of the fruition to come, and make me long for the 



112 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

day of communion ? What of my daily allowance 
from the table of the King, yea, sometimes my being 
allowed to eat at the King's table of the hidden man- 
na, and bread of life, and to behold his glory with the 
eye of faith. 

Surely, then, I ought to sing and rejoice ; for as 
the sorrow of the world worketh death, so the joy 
that is spiritual tendeth to life. God remembers both 
the place and time where he lets out his love to his 
people ; hence, says he to Jacob, " I am the God of 
Bethel ;" and of Jacob to his posterity, < ; He found 
him in Bethel, and there he spake with us ; even 
the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial." 
u I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the 
love of thine espousals." Dare I, then, despise the 
day of small things, or forget what God may be pleas- 
ed to remember ? And if I look but a little further 
to the end of my life, which is perhaps nearer than I 
think of, what a flood of glory waits to replenish my 
enlarged soul, when sin and imperfection shall be put 
off, and perfection put on ? Should not such a hap- 
py change, secured to me by the faithfulness of him 
who cannot lie, but who rests in his love, cause a 
continual joy in my soul ? I daily see sinners, whose 
life is one scene of jovialty, one round of mirth, and 
yet they know not on what account they are so cheer- 
ful ; and why should I be sad, who have the truest 
cause of purest joy ? — Neither should the outward 
troubles of time disquiet me, more than a king riding 
in his coach of state, attended with his guards, should 
take it ill that dust should fly round him, or a gentle 
shower fall on hirn, when screened from both ; so I 
am safe in the promise ; yea, I ride in the chariot of 
my Beloved with greater security, and statelier port, 
than crowned heads could ever boast of. 

Hasten your flight, ye envious days, that I may see 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 113 

him whom I love, for whom I long, on whom I have 
fixed my affection, and with whom my soul dwells by 
faith. Now will I joy in thee with a joy superior to 
theirs that divide the spoil ; and wait for the day when 
I shall be allowed to bring to the throne of thy glory, 
the tribute of praise for all thy mercies to me, and 
among the rest for this true substantial joy. 

MEDITATION L, 

ONE FRUIT OF AFFLICTION, 

Spithead % July 14, 1758. 

The world complains of affliction as the worst 
thing that can befal a man, but for my part I never 
shall. Were it as bad as we apprehend, how is it 
that from Adam to this very day, the saints have had 
so large a share of it ? Now, among the many pre- 
cious fruits of affliction, I shall only name one, and 
that is, earnestness and importunity with God in pray- 
er. A gracious soul may walk with God in close 
communion, as Enoch, captivated with the glory of 
his countenance, and lifted above the world by the 
outlettings of his love ; but as this is not the ordina- 
ry attainment of the saints in general, it is their mer- 
cy to be driven near the throne, and made earnest in 
their prayers. A good man may walk in the course 
of religious duties, but affliction gives edge to his 
devotions, importunity to his petitions, makes him 
draw nearer to the throne, stay longer, and cry louder. 

Of this we have examples in the practice of scrip- 
ture-saints. See how Lot, when Sodom is in flames 
behind him ; his wailing wife and weeping daughters 
hanging round him ; desolate mountains before him, 
whither he is commanded to escape ; terror without, 
and trembling within : see, I say, how he doubles his 
request, " It is a little one, O let me escape thither ! 
is it not a little one ? M See another example in the 
10* 



114 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

case of Jacob, who was not long escaped out of La- 
ban's hand, till he is informed of another and more fu- 
rious foe come out against him to cut him wholly off. 
Immediately he pleads the promise which God had 
made to him, of doing him good, and also bidding 
him return unto bis native land, yet confessing he was 
less than the least of all his mercies : then he makes 
the most prudent disposition for melancholy conse- 
quences that he can think on, and sets them all over 
the brook ; but he lodges alone that night, and when 
alone, expresses all his grief, pours out his soul to 
God : "Didst not thou promise that in my seed all 
nations should be blessed, and from my loins the pro- 
mised Messiah spring ? and that my seed should be 
numerous as the stars, innumerable as the sand ? But 
where is the accomplishment of the promise, the ve- 
racity of thepromiser, if I and all my seed are slain ?" 
This, no doubt, was the subject of his prayer, and the 
theme he insisted on in the wrestling-night ; and, lol 
the very Saviour, about whose kingdom in the world 
he was so concerned, appears to him in the very same 
likeness which he should afterwards assume, and al- 
lows himself to be wrestled with, in weeping, pray- 
ers, and supplication, and to be overcome by the all- 
prevalent strugglings of omnipotent faith, till this sur- 
prising language drops between them, 4 < Let me go," 
I will not let thee go except thou bless me; which 
was granted, and confirmed by a change of his name 
from Jacob to Israel. Sure, then, never was a sweet- 
er night on earth ; and can it be doubted but that w T as 
a singular fruit of a singular affliction ! Here we must 
also admire the earnestness of Moses in prayer with 
God, in the time of Israel's calamity, through sin : 
a And now, O Lord, let the power of my Lord be 
great ; pardon, I beseech thee, the sin of this peo- 
ple»"~Of Joshua, when Israel was smitten before 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 115 

their enemies : « What wilt thou do to thy great 
name ?" — Of David, under his various persecutions 
— and of Hezekiah, when he received the railing let- 
ter from the Assyrian monarch. 

Not to mention any more in the Old Testament, I 
shall name one in the New : Peter is apprehended by 
Herod, put in prison, and the day set that he should 
suffer ; this was a great affliction to the church, one 
of her prime pillars, one of her apostles, so near a 
shameful, cruel death ; but prayer is made of the 
church unto God without ceasing, and the issue is 
Peter's deliverance in a miraculous manner. 1 
how, when pressed upon by affliction, do we press 
upon the promise, plead for the performance, and are 
importunate with God ! As an affectionate parent 
keeps back from his child what he knows to be 
needful for him, that he may be delighted with its 
little pretty arguments to obtain it, so deals God with 
his people. 

Then, rather than that I should grow remiss in my 
supplications at the throne of grace, through the lan- 
gour of my love, may the weight of my afflictions add 
fervour to my devotions, and eagerness to my re- 
quests. 



MEDITATION LI. 

FROM THE DEPTHS OF AFFLICTIONS WE SEE STUPENDOUS THINGS. 

Spithead, July 17, 1758. 
Will* any man think the philosopher mad for go- 
ing into a profound pit, that there he may see to more 
advantage the furniture of the higher heavens, the 
glory of the sparkling stars ? Seeing that meaner 
objects being hindered to strike his eye, nothing but 
what is high, luminous, and bright, beam into the 
bottom of the dark abode. Even so the saints, when 
shut up in the deeps of afflictions, u when set in 



116 SOLITUD SWEETENED ,* OR, 

dark places as the dead, when hedged about that they 
cannot get out," have their eyes on God alone, who 
can bring them out of the horrible pit, out of miry 
clay. Then their thoughts ascend to heaven, and 
heaven shines down into their souls ; while the world, 
in all its glittering vanities that strike the carnal eye, 
is cut off on every side. A communication is open- 
ed between God and the soul: <4 To this man will I 
look ; even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spi- 
rit,' ' a spirit broken with affliction ; yea, with such 
he will dwell, to revive the hearts of the contrite 
ones. 

Again, in the dark night of adversity, there are 
beauties seen, that were never seen in the broad day 
of prosperity. Manassah, all the time he reigned in 
Judah, though it was a land of light, never knew 
God till he was taken among the thorns, bound in 
fetters, and carried to Babylon, where he prayed, was 
heard, pardoned, and liberated ; and <* then Manasseh 
knew that the Lord, he was God." Thus, in the 
depths of affliction, he learned maxims more sublime, 
and of higher moment, than he could attain to when 
seated on a throne. O desirable distress ! that dis- 
closes and magnifies heavenly excellencies, and di- 
minishes earthly vanities I 

When much of the world gets into the mind, then 
little cf God is there ; for if " any man love the 
world, the love of the Father is not in him ;" but 
when little of the world, then much of God. Afflic- 
tion is also a time of solitude, for the man sittetb 
alone ; but God setteth the solitary in a family, even 
in the family of heaven, and comforts him with his 
own children. In no place better than in the pro- 
found depth of affliction, does the heir of future glo- 
ry see the love, the goodness, the mercy, and the 
wisdom of God ; the excellency of religion, the beau- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 117 

ty of divine things, the danger of prosperity, the de- 
ceitfulness of riches, the vanity of created things, 
and the happiness of the world to corne. 

But as to the illiteiate man, who knows nothing of 
astronomy, or the laws of the celestial bodies, this 
pit would be a deplorable situation, for it is only the 
philosopher that can improve here ; so it is only the 
spiritual mind, the heavenly meditant, that reaps the 
advantage of such a situation, for the carnal man here 
would be altogether miserable. 

Again, as no man would pity the philosopher for 
being deprived a while of beauteous day, while pur- 
suing his studies, and perfecting his knowledge ; so 
why should the saints be accounted cast off, when 
plunged into affliction for a while, to pursue their stu- 
dies of the wondrous way of Providence, and perfect 
their knowledge of the Most High ? 



MEDITATION LII. 

PRAYER. 

Spithcad, July 28, 1758. 

No sooner is the child born, than he breathe^ ; no 
sooner is Paul converted, than, behold ! he prays. 

O incomparable privilege ! to be allowed to pour 
our complaints into the ear of God, cast our cares 
over on him, plead the performance of the promise, 
and devolve the burden of our sorrows and necessi- 
ties over on his sympathy and all-sufficiency ! The 
prayer of faith has won more numerous and more no- 
ble victories than all the mighty conquerors since war 
was taught among the nations. Prayer is the fur- 
bishing of all the other pieces of the spiritual armour, 
and as it were the muster-master of all the graces, 
It is the key of heaven ; Elijah prayed, and it was 
locked; again he prayed, and it was opened. It is 
the terror of hell, which will put up with any thing 



118 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR) 

but prayer ; — the ambassador of the renewed soul— 
the trumpet of faith — the support of the weak — the 
employ of the expectant of glory — and the daily ex- 
ercise of the christian. It is like a pulley that draws 
the soul up to heaven ; and, like a golden pipe, plun- 
ges into that river that proceeds out of the throne of 
God and of the Lamb, and conveys the blessing down 
into the soul below. When Job prayed, God turned 
his captivity ; when Jacob wrestled in prayer, he ob- 
tained the blessing ; when Elijah and Solomon pray- 
ed, the fire fell and consumed the sacrifice ; when 
Paul and Barnabas prayed and sang praises, the pri- 
son was shaken, the doors opened, and every one's 
bands loosed ; and while the church prayed for Pe- 
ter, an angel set him at liberty. By all which it ap- 
pears, that God will be inquired after by prayer, and 
will work wonders for the humble supplicants. 

This is the time that God will talk with men in a 
special manner; — the audience-hour of the great 
King, when the Court of Heaven receives and an- 
swers the petitions of the saints. And many times 
have the souls of God's people been enlarged be- 
yond measure, while they have, Jacob-like, been 
wrestling for the blessing, weeping and making sup- 
plication to God. Then heaven has been pleased to 
pour in his joys in the soul, so fully, that they hardly 
could contain ; their old bottles being like to burst 
asunder with the new wine of God. 

Flowery expressions, and a fine style ; a multitude 
of words, and many petitions ; or any thing that may 
seem the wisdom of man more than the power of 
God — is not the prayer that shall be heard by Him, 
who regards one earnest wish, and sincere request, 
before all the oratory of the schools. We should 
search ourselves before prayer, and know what sin is 
least subdued, what duty is most neglected, what 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 119 

grace is most decayed, that we may pray with under- 
standing. Again, we should summon our attention 
in the time of prayer, that we may speak as to God ; 
and we should look to God after prayer for an an- 
swer, and wait on him who is both able and willing 
to supply all our need, spiritual or temporal, accord- 
ing to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 



MEDITATION LIII. 

LITTLE KNOWN OF THE BLISS ABOVE. 

Off Cherbourg, Aug. 11, 1758. 

I verily believe the saints here are like a stran- 
ger come from the skirts of the kingdom to the chief 
city, who never saw any thing grand or noble all his 
life till he came thither. When he comes to the pa 
lace of the king, he is astonished to see the stately 
buildings, royal guards, grand attendance, delightful 
walks, fragrant arbours, the palace-garden, and the 
noble personages that are admitted in. While gaz- 
ing with wonder at the external appearance, he is 
filled with surprise to think what must be within : 
Rooms hung with arras, furniture gilt with gold, the 
throne, the crown, the sceptre, and the robes of 
state, and all the royal inhabitants. Even so the 
saints, who are charmed with the beauties of the 
church below, which is the house of the living God, 
wonder what the palace of the great King must be. 
For if the ordinances of his grace be pleasant be- 
yond comparison, what must the eternal overflowings 
of his love be in the land of his glory ? If the ex- 
ceeding great and precious promises, and the scrip- 
tures of truth, be better than thousands of gold and 
silver, what must the fulfilment of the one, and the 
subject of the other, be in the world above ? How 
may we, when we see the outwalks of our God, the 



120 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

goings of our king in the sanctuary, wonder what the 
chamber of presence must be above ! 

Happy ye that stand before him, and see him on 
his throne, even face to face, not as we do, who only 
get a window-glimpse, and through the dimming- 
glass. What must the invisible glory of the highest 
heaven be, when such beauty beams in the created 
firmament ! What must that glory be that supplies 
the absence of the sun 1 What must that beatihc vi- 
sion be which changes the soul at its first entrance 
into it ! What must those pleasures be that ravish 
every moment ! and those delights which surfeit not, 
even while eternally enjoyed ! 

Surely that divine bliss is too sublime for nature's 
light to know about, or see into ; and revelation can 
tell but a little of it, because of our carnality, and 
shallow knowledge of sacred things. Yea, should 
the happiness of the blessed be described in the lan- 
guage used before the throne, it would be too sub- 
lime to enter into a mortal ear. So that it still holds 
true, that ear hath not heard, eye hath not seen, nei- 
ther hath it entered into the heart of man to con- 
ceive, what God hath laid up for his saints. But 
such a portion is it, that the very faith of it makes 
them endure hardships, patient under trouble, silent 
in affliction, joyful in tribulation ; to trample on 
worldly greatness, riches, honour, and renown, and 
to endure all things, as seeing him who is invisible, 
and thus to wait for his Son from heaven. 



MEDITATION LIV. 

THE DIVINE LOVER. 

In Harbour, Nov. 1, 1758. 

How many great geniusses have employed their 
noble talents on subjects of human love ! And by 
their flowery expressions, screw up the imaginary 



MISCELLANEOUS HEDXTATIOIN'S. 121 

bliss in these luscious scenes to such a height, as if 
nothing more sublime could be pursued by immortal 
souls ! And how easy such trifling subjects gain on 
carnal minds, mournful experience may convince us. 
But where is he that dwells on the Divine Lover, 
and expatiates on his matchless grace, with strokes* 
that melt the soul into astonishment and rapture ? 
How often does the poet, in his encomium of a cre- 
ated fair, step beyond the truth, talk at random, yea, 
rove above possibility itself! But here, in the love of 
the Son of God, we can never exceed. It is higher 
than heaven, and brought him down from his Father's 
bosom to our earth : It is deeper than hell, and 
brought us up from thence : It is larger than the sea, 
and can never be exhausted : Broader than the earth, 
and can never be described. How vehemently did 
the heavenly flame burn, even u when the sorrows of 
death compassed him about, when the pains of hell 
took hold on him !" 

How has art and oratory embellished human loves ! 
What surprising narratives have been written of the 
amours of princes ! and what pages have been filled 
with the fictitious adventures of lovers ! But what 
has been said to purpose of the Supreme Lover, who 
loved his own to the end in the hour of death, in the 
pangs of dissolution, and amidst the keenest sense of 
his Almighty Father's wrath ! This is what no mor- 
tal ever could do ; for death flings another theme into 
their mind, and as their breath expires, their thoughts 
perish. Death, in the person loving or beloved, 
finishes the strongest affection, though their memory 
may be dear ; but death cannot separate from his sa- 
cred love. 

There never was such disproportion between par- 
ties loved and beloved, as here ; no, not though kings 
should choose their queens from the dunghil. Here 
11 



122 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the Prince of peace, the King* of kings, the flower 
of paradise, the darling of his Father's love, the ex- 
press image of his person, and brightness of his glo- 
ry, the heir of all things, the eternal God, loves an 
ugly, deformed, miserable creature, a crawling worm, 
a condemned criminal, an insolvent debtor, a rebel 
against heaven, a daring sinner, a drudge to hell, a 
slave to lust, a captive of Satan, a prisoner of the 
pit ! This is love indeed, love that will be the won- 
der of angels, and the song of the church of the 
first-born through endless ages. 

For shame, ye celebrated bards ! will ye choose 
such lifeless, tasteless, dying themes, and neglect the 
work of angels, the employment of heaven ? How 
ardently, Divine Lover ! should my soul go out af- 
ter thee ! Longing for that thrice-welcome day, when 
I shall mourn thine absence no more, but, admitted 
into thy presence, shall talk of all thy love, and feast 
on all thy charms, world without end. 



MEDITATION LV. 

ETERNITY. 

Spithead, Nov. 13, 1758. 
Arithmeticians have been much puzzled with 
given numbers ; but none ever attempted eternity, or 
the duration of the world to come, though they have 
shown mighty art in figures. Here the finite mind 
has no idea of eternity but by succession of ages, 
and yet succession belongs to time, not to eternity. 
Though all the angels in heaven, and all the men in 
the world, since their creation, had been employed 
in dotting down figures, which at the end of the 
world were to be arranged into one straight line, 
stretched through an unmeasured space, which wouid 
give every figure ten times its force, yet this line 
would not be so much to eternity, by all the dispro- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 123 

portion of comparison, as the number one bears to 
it ; for one bears some proportion to the greatest 
numbers, but the greatest numbers bear none to eter- 
nity. 

Days, weeks, and months, are nothing there ; 
years, ages, and generations are lost there ; hundreds, 
thousands, and millions are no more there ; times, 
eras, and determinate durations are past for ever 
there ; all is fixed, all eternal there ! There is no 
first and last, sooner and later, in eternity; for though 
Abel, with respect to time, was sooner plunged into 
perpetuity, yet no sooner than the saints that shall 
be alive at the last day, with respect to eternity. For 
it is like a circle, which, dasected any where, is al- 
ways in the middle. The saints are like so many 
guests assembling to a feast, some are set down, some 
sitting down, some standing ready to sit down, some 
entering the door, and some at a little distance from 
the house, yet all come in due time for the feast. 
Adam, Enoch, and Elias, are set down at the banquet 
of love ; the prophets and apostles are set down at 
the marriage-supper of the Lamb ; some are entering 
the door of bliss, and many are on their way thither ; 
but they shall all come time enough to the divine en- 
tertainment which shall satisfy all the guests in the 
mansions of glory. 

Alas! with what desperate madness am I chargea- 
ble, that am thus taken up with transitory trifles, and 
neglect the realities of the everlasting world ? When 
I consider the vanity of earthly glory, I cannot help 
concluding, that such as pursue after it are intoxicat- 
ed with poison more dangerous than that of the ta- 
rantula, which makes men die by dancing ; as the 
one affects the soul, the other only the body. But 
though the pleasures of this world were real and so- 
lid, yet they are so transient, that they are not worthy 



124 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OH, 

our pursuit. O how wise for time, but how impro- 
vident for eternity! for what man, to appear in all 
the majesty and grandeur of a king for one day, 
would forfeit his estate, and spend the rest of hi3 
miserable life in poverty and reproach ? And yet for 
vanity, for trifles of a day, we throw ourselves away 
for eternity 1 I look forward a few years, perhaps a 
few days, and see myself in eternity : but I cannot 
look still more forward, and see myself out of eter- 
nity into another state. O Eternity ! I am to be in 
thee for ever ; and why shouldst thou not be in all 
my thoughts ? Thou shalt shortly overtake me ; why 
then should I chase thee from me, or fly myself from 
thee ? 

It matters not much to him who is going but out 
of one door into another, whether it be in a summer- 
blink, or winter-blast, since a few steps finish his 
journey ; nor does it much more concern him who 
comes out of the door of the womb, and enters by 
the gate of death into the palace of the great King, 
his mansion for eternity, whether it be under the sun- 
shine of prosperity, or the bitter blast of adversity; 
because the one cannot profit him, nor the other pain 
him there. And our journey, from our coming into 
this world, till our going into the world of spirits, 
though we should reach the age of Methuselah, is 
performed sooner with respect to eternity, than our 
going from one room to another in respect of time. 
Now, my moments are numbered, and precious ; but, 
O that blessed state when numbers are no more ! No 
incursions there on the adoring soul, from the world, 
or from vanity, from sin, Satan, or the flesh. No 
weariness there, where mine adorations shall not be 
measured by minutes, cramped by corruption, or cut 
short by bodily indisposition. But when I have stood 
an ardent adorer before the throne ten thousand 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 125 

years, I shall be as vigorous in my love, as active in 
my adorations, as in the first moment I began the 
work of angels, the employment of heaven. Now- 
vain thoughts mingle with my contemplations, dis- 
tractions with my devotions, impertinent rovings with 
my most importunate prayers : unbelief resists my 
faith, carnality is a clog to the heavenly mind, cor- 
ruption a dead weight on the soui, and the things of 
time an hindrance to all. But then I shall be deliver- 
ed into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Once 
a great king made a great feast to his grandees for an 
hundred and fourscore days ; nothing less than a roy- 
al treasury could support the expense of such an en- 
tertainment. But the King of kings shall feast and 
satiate all his mighty angels, all his chosen people, on 
bis own undiminished fulness through eternity itself! 
There is bliss without a blank, abundance beyond all 
bounds, and possession without period ! No matter, 
then, what years I lose ; for whenever the lamp of 
life expires, the sun shall rise and shine for ever. 



MEDITATION LVI. 

ON LOVING GOD. 

Spithead, Nov. 20, 1758. 
To love thee, is my honour ; that I may, is my pri- 
vilege ; and in as far as I do it, so far am I happy. 
How is it, then, that this divine duty of loving thee 
meets with so much opposition ? Hell and earth 
bid me hate thee ; sinners will not let me avow my 
love to thee ; corruption within, cares and concerns 
without, check my love ; unbelief cools my love, 
" for faith works by love," and love bears proportion 
to faith ; immoderate fear, and love of any thing be- 
sides thee, is a clog to my love ; and imperfect ap- 
prehensions of thy glorious self, deaden my love to 
thee. In what a melancholy case am I ! It is death 
11* 



128 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

to live, and not to love : yet I love, and cannot love 
thee ! I can love my friend, and hate mine enemy ; 
but I cannot love my God, nor hate mine enmity. I 
can love what I think beautiful in the creature, with 
love more than meet ; why then not love the Rose 
of heaven, the chiefest among ten thousand, who is 
altogether lovely, and whose love is, like himself, 
unchangeable ! What makes the triumphant state so 
glorious, so desirable, but because love is perfect 
without fear, their adorations without distractions, 
their conceptions bright without misapprehensions, 
and their praise without interruption, their knowledge 
clear without confusion, their vision perfect, their 
views fixed, and all their souls strengthened in God, re- 
plenished with God, and going out on God. Then, 
in loving thee, I might begin the felicity of eternity, 
and anticipate the bliss above. I will love thee for 
thyself, and thy saints for thy sake, for thy image shin- 
ing in them. I will hate mine enmity against thee, 
grieve that I cannot love thee, and feel after thee, and 
wait for that day when I shall love thee as I would, 
because I shall see and enjoy thee as. thou art. 



MEDITATION LVII. 

WRATH. 

Spithead, Nov. 21, 1758. 
I have hitherto had faint views of divine wrath, 
though I have indeed had frightful apprehensions of 
fire, a gloomy idea of the bottomless pit, and shock- 
ing thoughts of the state of the damned. But, thene 
is one expression of our Saviour's, which gives me a 
clearer view of divine vengeance, than all the anguish 
of the damned can do. Observe the God-man, in 
whose mouth no guile was found, in whose face no 
personal guilt could stare, when suffering in our stead, 
carrying our sorrows, and bearing our grief. Al- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 127 

though he knew he should triumph, and come off vic- 
torious, that he should see of the travail of his own 
soul, and be satisfied ; and that, though he laid down 
his life, he should take it up again ; yet see, when the 
flood-gates of divine vengeance are opening (the over- 
flowings of whose waters were to thy very soul, O 
Iramanuel !) and pouring out on him, how his soul, 
that is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, suffers 
in such a manner, that the blood, instead of keeping 
its wonted course^ and flowing to support his heart, 
as if the frame of his holy human nature had been 
dissolving, breaks through the returning veins, forces 
a passage at every pore, and in great drops trickles 
down upon the ground ! while he puts up a petition 
which I should never forget, "Father, if it be possi- 
ble, let this cup pass from me !" Which is as if he 
had said, " Couldst thou be glorified, justice satisfied, 
and the elect saved, any other way than by my drink- 
ing this tremendous cup, O let it be done ! yet not my 
will, but thine be done." Now, if thus the Sort of 
God in our nature expressed himself under a sense of 
wrath, how dreadful, terrible, and intolerable must it 
be ! What are streams of melted brimstone, floods 
of fire, utter darkness, the worm that never dies, the 
horrid gulf, the bottomless pit, the tormenting compa- 
ny of fiends and devils, but as it were vehicles to con- 
vey wrath into the damned ? for the wrath of the Al- 
mighty, of which the wicked must drink for ever, is 
something above and beyond all these! u Who knows 
the power of thy wrath]" " Who can stand if thou 
be angry ?" How must guilt scream, when innocence 
itself cries out so ! How must despair roar, when he 
that was heard in that he feared, expresses himself in 
such a manner ! 

Three things may remain my wonder, the compas- 
sion of the Father, the condescension of the Son, 



128 SOLITUDE SWEETENED; OR, 

and the insensibility of the sinner. O, then, to be 
wise before instructed in the world of flames ! 



MEDITATION LVIII. 

SENSIBLE COMMUNION WITH GOD SOMETIMES ENJOYED. 

Under sail, Dec. 27, 1758. 

Though there is not a child in the family of hea- 
ven but what has real fellowship with the Father, and 
with his Son Jesus Christ yet there are happy times 
and pleasant moments, when a divine intercourse is 
carried on between the soul and God. A carnal 
world ridicules the idea; and no wonder, for the 4t na- 
tural man receivelh not the things of the Spirit of 
God, because they are foolishness to him." 

Will not the saints of God confess, that communion 
with him is sometimes sensibly enjoyed ; and that 
the enjoyment of it is a little heaven, glory in the bud, 
and a foretaste of their future felicity ? Nor is this 
the effect of fancy, or an heated imagination ; it pro- 
ceeds from a nobler cause, even the sovereign kind- 
ness of the Father of mercies. Have not the souls 
of his people (O that I could say, mine own!) been 
sometimes so refreshed with more than ordinary out- 
lettings of his love, that they have longed for the eter- 
nal uninterrupted vision and enjoyment of himself? 
And when heaven has opened before them to let them 
look in, and see the glories of the better country, how 
have they trampled on the pleasures, and triumphed 
over the troubles of a present life ! 

At three remarkable seasons God is pleased to 
hold communion with his people. First- Before af- 
fliction, to prepare them for it ; as with Jacob in that 
memorable night when his angry brother was march- 
ing against him ; — and with PauL who was bid to be 
of good cheer,' for as he had testified at Jerusalem, 
so he should at Rome. Again, in the time of afflic- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 129 

tion, to support them under it ; as when Moses was 
mourning and going heavily under Israel's grievous 
idolatry, then God spake face to face with him, as a 
man speaketh unto his friend ; and he made his good- 
ness to pass before him: — So Stephen's face, from 
heart-felt joy, shone like an angel's, amidst his foes, 
and near his death. And, thirdly, after some afflic- 
tive dispensations, and mournful providences : So the 
apostles, after they had been apprehended, examined, 
and severely threatened, are rilled in an eminent man- 
ner with the Holy Ghost, while the place of their 
abode, as a symbol of the divine presence, is remark- 
ably shaken. 

Though all his saints are fed at his expense, yet 
sometimes they are allowed to sit in his presence, and 
feast with the King. And such a banquet makes the 
barren desert like the garden of God. It is only in 
the strength of heavenly meals, bestowed by the un- 
created angel, that I travel to the mount of God. — 
Now, manifestations and communications do not 
entitle me to bliss, but are themselves a part of 
my bliss ; therefore I must not build upon them, 
but seek my standing in the righteousness of the Son 
of God : — Even as a servant being allowed provi- 
sion will not prove him to be a son, yet the son 
abiding in the family of election and house of God, is 
always entitled to be fed, and is sometimes admitted 
to his Father's own table. If, then, heaven is pleased, 
according to his divine sovereignty, to display his glory 
at times, in a more than ordinary effulgence, why 
should it be called enthusiasm and delusion ? For 
my part, whoever be the sober wits, let me live and 
die in such delusion. But if thus the life of the least 
saint be like the life of an angel, in comparison of the 
happiest worldlings ; and if the life of one saint so 
excel another's in walking near God (for it is thus 
that in the firmament of grace one star differeth from 



130 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

another star in glory ;) and if the life of a saint some- 
times, for a few moments, in comparison of his ordi- 
nary attainments, be like the life of a seraph, what 
must eternal, uninterrupted full, and free communion 
be, in the highest heavens, where the new bottles will 
be able to hold the new wine of paradise ; and where 
the soul, capacitated in every power, shall be replen- 
ished with all the fulness of God ? 

Expire, ye protracted periods, and roll off, ye en- 
vious years, that I may join the adorers round the 
throne, and commence communion with the Highest 
in the holy place for the endless ages of eternity I 



MEDITATION LIX. 

BREVITY OF LIFE. 

Plymouth, Dec. 23, 1758. 
What is all this struggle in the world for ? What 
mean I by so many attempts to be something in the 
sphere of nothing? This is as if foam and bubbles 
should contend for station on a rapid stream, which 
in a moment are no more Now we are engaged and 
entangled in a war, and this is the time for the patriot, 
the politician, and the hero to appear ; but how many 
press forward to make their appearance for the sake 
of being seen ! as if honour could bring happiness. 
This I see and condemn in others, yet am guilty of it 
myself, forgetting that I am but of ye;terday, and to- 
morrow am no more. It is a shame to think so much 
about a few days, and so little of endless ages. Let me 
look to the generations past; then were patriots, poli- 
ticians, and heroes, and some of them the favourites 
of fame ; now that generation is gone, this is going; 
that has preceded this by one step, and this by another 
step shall follow that. How few of our deceased ac- 
quaintance are so much as remembered! and how 
goon, like them, shall we also be forgotten ! Many 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 



131 



prime servants of the crown are this day sleeping in 
perpetual silence, and their names possess almost the 
same repose in some antiquated registers, that are 
cleared to make room for the present, as the present 
in a little shall be to make room for the future. Per- 
haps the names of a few, signalized by an uncommon 
fame, may yet tingle in our ears ; but what is this to 
them who are fixed in their final state ? Could it 
mitigate their misery, who have begun their everlast- 
ing hovvlings, that the whole world were ringing with 
their praises ; or, could it add to their joy, who have 
begun their endless hallelujahs, that every tongue 
were employed in panegyrics to their memory ; well 
might we be pardoned in our pursuit of fame. 

How frail is our life! a pile of grass, a withered 
leaf, dry stubble, a flower, a breath, brittle clay, 
fading flesh : How swift! a weaver's shuttle, an eagle, 
a ship, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not 
again : How short ! a moment, a breathing. — While 
I bewail a departed friend, death, suddenly seizing 
me, translates the lamentation to another tongue that 
is most nearly concerned in me, who also in a little 
time must follow me into the silent grave, and leave 
the protracted elegy to be continued by their nearest 
relations. Thus mourning is continued, though the 
mourners are hurried away in a moment. Surely I 
need not be so anxious about a life so short, a state 
so uncertain, and a world so vain ; where I am only 
a stranger, a pilgrim, a sojourner, and posting away 
from every thing below. Let the world, then, go 
with me as it will, this shall not trouble me, who am 
daily going through the world, and shall in a little 
go entirely out of the world, to return no more. — 
How, then, shall I spend this short life, my few winged 
moments, which are all numbered to me? Surely, 



132 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

in nothing better, than in looking out, and laying 
up for eternity. 



MEDITATION LX. 

ON THE LAST DAY OF A YEAR. 

Plymouth, Dec. 31. 1758, 
Time is measured, and is alike at both ends ; it 
began with a day, and will end with a day; hence the 
evening and the morning were said to be the first day, 
as the general judgment is called the last day. Eter- 
nity is the fountain from which it sprang, and the flood 
into which it shall fall. The most lasting duration of 
time is but short, and its greatest prolongations come 
to a period. A given moment is scarce known till 
it is known no more, a few of which make a minute, 
which we but begin to enjoy when it is also gone ; 
thus an hour flies away, a day hastes to its end, and a 
year (as this has done) comes to its last day. As, 
therefore, at the end of the year, trading people cast 
up their accounts, and regulate their books, let me 
ask myself. What have my talents gained these twelve 
months ? For, whatever I may think, time itself is 
none of the least of talents, and another year is added 
to my account. 

Thousands who come into the world after me, are 
called into eternity before me ; and is not this a loud 
call to me to improve every moment of my time ? — 
Time is only little thought of by those who think still 
less of eternity ; but if I look into a future world, I 
will see of how great moment every moment of my 
time is, who therein must prepare for this everlasting 
fixed state. O precious, mispent time, which I never 
can recall Now this year is gone, and never shall 
return ; what, then, have I done for the glory of God 
therein ? Ah ! it is passed away from me as a void, 
though on this side it sparkles thick with mercies, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 133 

like the starry firmament. Ah! did I say a void? 
nay, worse ; for while his love and goodness shone 
around me like the noon-day beam, my sins rose nu- 
merous, like the atoms of the sun ! 

This is the last day of this year ; and how would I 
value every moment of it, did I think it the last day of 
my life ? Yet nothing but presumption flatters me 
with another thought. I should count every day my 
last, since some have found their last, on days they as 
little dreaded as I do this ; and at most, some day soon 
will be my last, when perhaps this same pernicious 
expectation will not be dispelled my breast. Then 
it is wisdom to be beforehand with death ; rather to 
wonder that he stays away so long, than be surprised 
he should come so soon ; rather triumphantly to ex- 
pect him, than be terrified at his approach. Thus I 
should look on every day as my last, that when my 
last day comes, it may not come unlooked for, nor 
overtake me unprepared. 

But, alas! this year has afforded me more mournful 
spectacles of sin than all my life beside. I have 
heard the divine name blasphemed ; seen sin in high 
place ; the holy Sabbath, like Job's birth-day, dis- 
joined from the days of the year, and shut out from 
the number of the months ; and all manner of wicked- 
ness committed thereon, drinking, sporting, singing, 
buying, selling every kind of merchandise thereon. — 
O for what trifling gain will men cast away their 
precious souls! and how can I, unconcerned, look on 
sin in all its ugly shapes, and the dreadful havoc it 
makes among immortal souls ! 

But may the divine providence bring me from 
these chilling objects, and may I through grace never 
torget what I have heard and seen ! Here also 
patience, worthy of God, is conspicuous; for, when 
we think how much wickedness is committed all over 
12 



134 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the Christian, as well as the heathen world — in Pro- 
testant as well as Roman-Catholic countries — in pub- 
lic and private — by great and small — on land and sea ; 
and again, that this rebellion against heaven was not 
begun yesterday, but carried on since Adam's fall, 
for more than five thousand years ; it is a wonder the 
world has not long ago been devoted to the flames. 
But that patience, which for continuance is amazing, 
shall at last give place to justice, which in the execu- 
tion will be terrible. Might my life end, like this 
year, on a Sabbath, I could be content; but this may 
comfort me, that upon whatever day I may depart 
this life, I shall enter into heaven on an high Sabbath- 
day, for Sabbath is eternal there. 

But whde I am meditating on my fleeting time, the 
midnight hour strikes, and I am already in another 
year. Then adieu, for ever, 1758. Yet let me re- 
member, that by this adieu I look on my life as draw- 
ing to its latter end, and that I am advanced another 
stage nearer eternity, ignorant if a day, or a month, 
or a year, or two, or more, shall be bestowed on me. 

MEDITATION LXI. 

SAINTS HAVE THE GREATEST REASON TO REJOICE. 

Plymouth, Jan. 7, 1759. 
No wonder that Paul doubles his admonition to the 
converted Philippians, u Rejoice in the Lord always, 
and again I say rejoice ;" for nothing better becomes 
the saints than spiritual joy, though none are greater 
strangers to what they have so good a title, than they. 
The joy of the sinner and the laughter of the fool, are 
alike, just as the crackling of thorns under a pot, no- 
thing but a noise, and quickly gone ; but it is not so 
with the saints, for there is more joy even in their 
penitential groans, more consolation in their mourn- 
ing, than in all the gladness of the carnal world* — 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 135 

What should make the children of a king sad, the 
sons of such a Sovereign as he, who is ** the King 
eternal, invisible, immortal, dwelling in light inacces- 
sible, and full of glory;'* who alone hath immortality 
essentially, and in the light of whose countenance 
saints commence their journey here towards his more 
immediate presence, and shall hereafter hold on their 
journey towards his adorable, perfections for ever. 

If my hope can lay hold on thee* if my faith can 
fasten here, I ought certainly ftrbe filled with more joy 
than I have in believing ; and, from this divine rela- 
tion to him who is the Lord of the whole creation, 
should be possessed of a joy that shall be more than 
match for all sublunary sorrow. Indwelling sin, pre- 
vailing temptation, and tempestuous corruption only 
claim perpetual sorrow, and unceasing lamentation ; 
yet, with the great apostle, while with one breath I 
cry, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver 
me from the body of this death ?" I may in another 
breath say, in view of the sure and sweet deliverance 
that shall come, u I thank God, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord." 

Does it become those to be sad who are possessed 
of all things ? and, O saints ! "all things are your's, 
and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's." Is it 
seemly for those to weep, at whose conversion angels 
joy, and on whose account heaven and earth are in 
harmony ?" ^ Truth springs from earth, and righte- 
ousness looketh down from heaven." Is it like one 
of royal blood to bewail the loss of a pebble, when he 
has a crown set with diamonds, yea, a crown of glory 
that fadeth not away, laid up for him ? Is it congru- 
ous for the expectants of celestial bliss to lament the 
loss of time-trifles, when the treasures of eternity are 
reserved for them ? Is it decent in the conjugal af- 
fection of the spiritual spouse, the Lamb's wife, to be 



136 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

inconsolable at the death of a carnal relation, when 
the husband, who is better than any, than all other 
relatives, is eternally alive ? How mean i3 it in the 
great soul that is born from above, to look dejected 
because the world looks down upon him, when God 
beholds him with a pleasant countenance ? How fool- 
ish were it for one travelling through a strange country 
to be disquieted because the children of every town 
stare at his foreign dress, or the fools laugh at him 
in his journey ; when he is conscious that his king is 
acquainted with his character, approves his journey, 
and will honour him on his arrival home ? In a word, 
how abject and base for the Christian to complain of 
the whirlwinds scattering his mole-hill of sand; when 
the spoils of principalities and powers, won by the 
divine Conqueror in that tremendous day when he 
gave his life. away — the mountains of prey, and trea- 
sures of eternity — shall enrich him for evermore! 

Now I reprove my sorrow, and reprehend my sad- 
ness. I will rejoice in the Rock of my salvation with 
acclamations and shouting; yea. sometimes I would 
fain emulate the cherubim in their subliinest strains, 
did not the sight of so much dishonour done to the 
divine majesty by others always, and by myself too 
often, make my joys recoil, and inward sorrow flow. 
Yet in thee will I rejoice, till the day dawn, when 
I shall enter into the joy of my Lord, which like- 
wise entering into me, shall be mine everlasting 
strength. 

MEDITATION LXII. 

INDWELLING SIN. 

Plymouth Sound, Jan. 14, 1759. 

There is a mysterious wisdom in the way of God 
with his people, to whom he grants to know but in 
part, and to be renewed but in part. Were they, 
while here, wholly delivered from sin, and had the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 137 

unclouded vision of his face, and full communion 
with God, there would be nothing reserved for the 
day of glory. It is with them, therefore, as with an- 
cient Israel, among whom God wisely left some of 
the devoted nations undestroyed, even them whose 
land was divided by promise, to excite their faith, 
and stir up their endeavours to extirpate them, and 
to be a means of preserving them from sinning with 
security and impunity. 

Now, God has promised to subdue all our sins, 
and so he does, that they shall never condemn us ; 
but such is the corruption of nature, which is sancti- 
fied but in part, and of creatures who know but in 
part, that it is rare to be holy and humble, to be full 
of God, and empty of ourselves. Even the great 
apostle Paul, after he had been with God, in a spe- 
cial manner, and seen unutterable glories in the high- 
est heavens, instead of having some of the heavenly 
host as his companions, after his kind reception at the 
celestial court, had a messenger of Satan sent to 
buffet him, lest he should be exalted above measure 
with the divine vision. A humbling change this! to 
come from heaven to combat with hell! 

Our very critical situation in this world, might keep 
us humble. Corrupt nature, like weeds among flow- 
ers, is ready to spring up with every refreshing show- 
er of grace, and sun-blirikof manifestation, if not in- 
to acts of sin, yet into pride, self-conceit, and security. 
When we see things above us, we are ready, through 
the mists of remaining corruption, to forget ourselves, 
and provoke God to show ourselves unto ourselves, 
that we may not be puffed up with ourselves. For 
to the high and lofty One, who delights to dwell with 
the humble, nothing is more abominable than pride, 
and no pride more odious to him than spiritual pride. 
The soldier that is not. match for his enemies will al- 
12* 



138 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

ways keep in the camp, and under protection of his 
general ; so the believer must dwell by faith, if he 
would be secure, under the shadow of the Almighty. 
But it is impossible for us to be delivered wholly from 
indwelling sin hi this world. For, 

1. This would be turning earth into heaven, grace 
into glory, and time into eternity, before the great day 
of revelation. We must not be crowned with victo- 
ry till we come off the field of battle; and this we 
cannot leave till our enemies are subdued before us, 
or we taken hence in triumph from them. We are 
still in the dominions of him who is the god of this 
world, in the territories of the prince of the power of 
the air; and he will always be seeking whom he may 
devour, till the God of peace bruise Satan under our 
feet, till the old serpent be bound for eternity, and 
cast into the burning lake. 

2. Were there no indwelling sin, no remains of cor- 
ruption in the justified, sanctification could not be 
progressive. But here '* the path of the just is like 
the shining light, that shineth more and more unto 
the perfect day." 

3. Were saints from the first moment of their con- 
version set at liberty from all sin, where w r ere the di- 
vine victories of all-triumphant grace, by which God 
is glorified, and the saints prepared for the better in- 
heritance ? Had not an enemy, and a giant too, dei 
fied the armies of Israel, the power and goodness of 
God could not have been displayed, as it was in killing 
him ; so the divinity of grace, in babes of the heaven- 
ly family, shines in this, that they are enabled to resist 
temptations from the same deceiving serpent that be- 
guiled our first parents in the state of innocence ; that 
they are enabled to wrestle, not against flesh and 
blood, but against principalities and powers, against 
the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against 
spiritual wickfcdaess in high piacfes. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 139 

4. Were the case so with the saints, the book of life 
were in effect laid open in the eyes of men, who would 
anticipate the judgment which belongs to God alone. 
But indwelling sin, though subdued, is not slain, and 
therefore breaks out in such a manner, even sometimes 
in eminent saints* as gives the enemy occasion to re- 
proach, and also makes them doubt of their own state 
themselves, till God deal again with them after his lov- 
ing kindness and tender mercies. Now, in the eyes 
of the poor penitent, a compassionate, returning, and 
forgiving God, is dear, beloved, and amiable beyond 
expression, and divine things shine with additional 
lustre. Thus, even indwelling sin, contrary to its 
own nature, advances the glory of God, and the good 
of the soul. 

5. Indwelling sin, or the remains of corruption in 
the greatest saints, makes them sympathize with 
others. They are men, and not angels ; so that they 
are to remember, not only them that suffer affliction, 
but them that are overtaken with a fault, as being yet 
in the body. Yea, what, comfort would it be to poor 
sinners, if salvation were preached to them by any 
other than men of like natures, like infirmities, and 
like passions with themselves ? How is our conso- 
lation heightened to hear them speak from experience, 
as Paul : " When I would do good, evil is present 
with me; so the good that I would, I do not ; and the 
evil that I would not, that do I ;" in comparison of 
angelic harangues on the beauty and excellency of 
perfection and innocence ! 

6. Indwelling sin keeps U3 humble and watchful; 
makes us cleave more closely to Christ, and endeav- 
our to make our calling and election sure ; — excites us 
to work while the day lasts, before the night shall 
come, wherein no man can work. 

7. It makes us go entirely out of ourselves into 



140 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

Christ, and ascribe the whole of our salvation to free 
grace. 

8. Thereby we learn the goodness of God in ma- 
king his grace sufficient for us, and his strength per- 
fect in weakness. Also, we are filled with wonder at 
the riches of his grace, which is glorified to the high- 
est in such patience towards offending sons, and his 
repeated pardons of their daily sins. 

Lastly, It makes, at least should make us long 
much for that day when sin shall cease, and imperfec- 
tion be swallowed up of permanent likeness to the di- 
vine image; — when our failings shall pass away, while 
we are lost in the overflowing of divine glory, and re- 
plenished with all the fulness of God, fixed in a state 
from which we cannot fall, and satiated with joys that 
cannot surfeit. 



MEDITATION LXIII. 

EVENTS OF PROVIDENCE. 

Dec. 1759. 
Unbelief is my worst enemy, and most disturbs my 
mental quiet ; and no wonder it so harasses me, when 
it attacks the very faithfulness of God, and concludes 
so harshly of his unerring providence. Now, my 
gratitude cannot be silent at this thy so surprising, 
surpassing kindness. A few months ago, matters 
wore a different aspect,* but I deserved worse ; yet 
then hope would not give up its claim to thy care, 
faith would not quit with its interest in thy promise, 
in thy love, and both are satisfied with thy goodness. 
Thou hast bestowed the very same mercy, though in 
another way than I sought it.j Then I thought no 



* See Meditation XI, 

1 He obtained a place in the n ivy, after being disappointed of 
\t in the merchant service. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. HI 

way like mine, but now I find no way like thine; for 
as thy thoughts are higher than ours, so is thy way bet- 
ter than our way. This favour which 1 sought from 
thee with submission, let it come with thy blessing ; 
not signifying thy displeasure, but sealing thy love ; 
not only filling somewhat my cup, but fulfilling thy 
promise. And as it may moderately feed my condi- 
tion, so let it feast my spiritual part ; and not prove 
like Israel's flesh, that while they thought to satisfy 
their lust, suffocated them outright ; nor like their 
granted request, which was attended with leanness 
sent into their soul. 

In the common affairs of life, I cannot look into 
myself, or sacrifice to my own drag ; I cannot look 
about, to praise princes, or the sons of men ; but I 
must look up, and adore thee as only and alone in all. 
Dare I henceforth sin, who am so many ways hedged 
about from it ? Shall not thy holiness dissuade me 
from sinning, thy power persuade, thy majesty deter, 
thy mercy overcome, thy love allure, and thy kind- 
ness bend me to obedience ? How shall I praise thee, 
O thou hearer of prayers, and answerer of petitions ! 
Let my lips praise thee ; let my life praise thee ; my 
meditations priise thee ; yea, let all my actions praise 
thee. 

But how shall I behave under thy kindness ? It is 
harder to be the Christian in prosperity than in ad- 
versity. «« When Ephraim spake trembling in Israel, 
he exalted himself;" but when he was exalted in 
Israel he offended in Baal ; and when " he offended 
in Baal, he died." When God spares, it is that his 
long suffering may lead us to repentance; and when 
he punishes it is that we may return to him ; for it is 
a heavy charge, when he has cause to complain 
against those to whom he has been a Father. In an 
afHicted state, humility best becomes us, because we 



H2 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

are laid on the dust, and where but there should we 
be humble ? In an exalted state we should still be 
humble, for heaven can clash us from the highest emi- 
nence to the lowest condition in life. And as an af- 
flicted state is not confirmed on us, that we may have 
hope; so a prosperous condition is not confirmed, 
that we may fear. " Before honour is humility, and 
an haughty spirit before a fall;" therefore we should 
always follow the one, and fly the other. As hu- 
mility lifts us out of the lowest condition, so it 
keeps us in the highest. Nor is there any state of life 
but is attended with so many humbling circumstances, 
that no discerning soul has reason to be proud, con- 
sidering that it is more disgrace to fall from an high 
station into a low, then never to have risen, and con- 
sequently never fall. He that loses his prince's fa- 
vour, smarts sorer than he that never had it : and 
those that fall from high preferments, or lose their 
honorary posts, may expect to have all eyes upon 
them, and every tongue to dwell on them and their 
misfortunes. 

Such, then, is our condition below, that we are 
always in danger, from without and from within. — 
Troubles may attack us without, or, if free from 
these, pride may swell within ; and the last is worse 
than the first. Then, contentment with our present 
condition, resignation to God with respect to unseen 
contingencies, hope in his mercy, confidence in his 
faithfulness, and an eye fixed on the world to come, 
is our only wisdom in this world that passeth away. 



MEDITATION LXIV. 

MORE OF GOD SEEN IN CHRIST THAN IN ALL THE CREATTON. 

Under sail, Jan. 26, 1759. 

There is a great noise among the wise men of our 
day, how God is to be seen and felt, as it were, in his 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS 143 

handy-works. True, O Lord ! thou art near in every 
thing around me, but nearer in thy Son. In thy hea- 
vens I behold thy wisdom ; but in thine Anointed I 
see thy grace, and share thy love. Thou art near in 
thy sun, moon, and stars, to convince atheists, but 
nearer in thy word of grace, to convert sinners, and 
comfort saints. My reason tells me, that he that 
formed the eye, planted the ear, and put understand- 
ing into the heart, must see, hear, and understand all 
things ; but thou art seen in more noble and exalted 
views, in those graces which are infused by thy Holy 
Spirit into my soul. Sense and reason harmonize in 
this, that God made and governs the world; but 
faith looks back to that period when time began, and 
sees that by him he made the world; and forward, 
when time shall be no more, and sees that by him he 
also shall judge the world. — Thou art near to me in 
the harmony of all my members, so that there is no 
schism in my natural body ; but much nearer in the 
union of my soul to thee, which shall never suffer 
a separation. Thou art to be acknowledged in every 
breathing as the God of my life ; but in a more glo- 
rious manner, in every act of faith, and heavenly aspi- 
ration, as the life of my soul. 

Human philosophy cries up nature as the best glass 
to see the glory of God in ; and surely, therein he is 
very glorious, for the heavens declare the glory of 
God, and the sky preaches his handy-work. But 
revelation, which is the sublimest philosophy, declares 
the face of Jesus to be the brightest mirror in which 
the glory of God can be seen ; for there it appears 
with a permament and transforming lustre. In the 
creation of the world, his power and wisdom are ad- 
mired ; but in the redemption of the world, his love 
and compassion are adored. 

Let others please themselves with philosophical 



144 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

views of the well-replenished creation ; but, not de- 
spising these, let me revolve the volume of revelation, 
peruse the divine page, and dwell upon the plan of 
redeeming love, where a glorious Trinity of persons 
appear in the grand work of man's redemption ; — 
and where all the attributes and perfections of God 
beam forth, with a radiance and beauty that cannot 
pass through the grosser creation, but is even too 
bright for the eyes of seraphim to fix upon. Here, 
then, I will begin to study for eternity, and learn for 
the world to come. 



MEDITATION LXV. 

GOD IN CHRIST THE STUDY ABOVE. 

Under sail, Feb. 9, 1759. 

1 read with pleasure, O philosophers ! your lec- 
tures, and commend your care to make the mute cre- 
ation preach the power and wisdom of the Creator : 
But yet, O ye learned commentators on the volumes 
of nature ! I shall never agree with you in thinking 
that this study, however useful and engaging here, 
shall employ the saints above. Surely, when carried 
above the material heavens, their search shall no more 
descend to our revolving spheres. When admitted by 
the divine intercessor into the presence of the great 
Creator himself, shall they carry the creature in its vari- 
ous laws to be their theme and subject before the 
throne ? By the creature they may now rise to admire 
the wisdom, acknowledge the goodness, and adore 
the power of him who made the whole; but when ar- 
rived at God himself in all his glory, shall they again 
descend to meditate on even the noblest of his works, 
which are but the prints of his majesty, and the traces 
of his power ? As the apostle speaks in another sense, 
"after they know God" in that state of perfection, 
and are known of him in the communion of glory, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS . 145 

« Shall they return again to weak and beggarly ele- 
ments ?" For if the law was such when compared to 
the gospel, much more is natural philosophy such 
when compared to glory. Though the house be beau- 
tiful, yet he that builds the house has more honour 
than the house. Now, we may stand and admire the 
palace abroad : but when admitted in, to converse 
with the royal family that inhabits it, would we choose 
to leave their company, and retire to take a view of 
the windows, doors, walks, and avenues belonging to 
the building, while we have the furniture, the immense 
treasures, and precious rarities within, to behold^and 
the royal personages to talk with ? Even so, when 
we pass into the highest heavens, and sit down before 
the throne, to hold communion for eternity with Je- 
hovah in his Son, shall we then give up with our 
searches into his divine excellencies and adorable 
perfections, in order to calculate the return of a wan- 
dering comet, study the laws of the starry hea- 
vens, and explore the secrets of nature? 

It is true, every thing in which God has been 
pleased to reveal himself, shall the saints study with 
delight; but as he has revealed himself more in his 
Son than either in creation or providence, so God in 
Christ shall be the uninterrupted, the pleasant, the 
supreme study of the saints above. His infinite glo- 
ries shall eternally engage all the ravished powers of 
my mind to follow hard after God ; and I will pursue 
my study while endless ages roll. I shall be so swal- 
lowed up of glory, so enamoured with the beauties of 
my divine Redeemer, beauties never yet beheld, and 
so lost in God, that my whole, attention shall be total- 
ly engrossed, and I shall not have one recoiling thought 
on the then forgotten lessons of philosophy. In a 
word, if ever I arrive at that blessed place till I find 
no more beautv in the Rose of Sharon, no more glorv 
13 



146 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

in the Sun of Righteousness, no more satisfaction in 
continual feeling after God, and no more fulness in in- 
finity itself, I shall never lift mine eyes from off my 
object, never change my theme. 



MEDITATION LXVI. 

THE WORLD ASLEEP. 

Under sail, Feb. 9, 1759. 

The whole world is, withj^espect to a future state, 
as it were fast asleep. In this night of universal dark- 
ness and ignorance, the greater part are dreaming in 
their sleep, and, believing themselves to be broad 
awake, are verily persuaded that all is real, because 
their dreams are regular. Yea, like night-walkers, 
they perform the actions of a busy world in their sleep ; 
and, confident that they are in the full use and exer- 
cise of their reason, they wage war, they buy and sell, 
they marry and are given in marriage, and weary and 
fatigue themselves in this continual dream. Now, 
who can persuade us in a dream, that either we our- 
selves are dreaming, or those we talk with in our 
dream? This is the true but melancholy condition of the 
most part of mankind : they dream, *vhile t nev think 
themselves to be awake, and slumber over the day of 
life, while they seem to exert the greatest activity to ob- 
tain solid and substantial good. 

Alas ! neither admonition nor reproof, nor the sad 
example of ten thousand dreamers who have gone 
before, can awake individuals, till they are led by the 
hand of death behind the curtain, and made to look 
at once full on a world of spirits. Nor is the general 
race of slumberers to be roused, till the last trumpet 
sound in their affrighted ears, and eternity expand 
awful and unknown in their staring eyes. 

There are, however, a few, (and but a few, alas!) 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 147 

who are spiritually awake, and whose thoughts pierce 
through the dark shadows of this dismal night, into 
the light of glory, and the regions of bliss. Such 
look beyond the glittering tapers and deceitful glow- 
worms of honours, riches, pleasures, and applause, 
which are the present chase (which should be the 
shame) and future cheat (which shall be the sorrow) 
of a comatose* world. And yet, in this imperfect 
state, even they are but like men struggling with the 
darkness of the night-watches, waiting for the morn- 
ing-light, and wishing for the perfect day. Such, 
however, are the only persons who have their loins 
girt, and their lamps burning, in expectation of the 
Bridegroom, at whose coming the day will break, the 
shadows flee away, and a light, seven times brighter 
than the noon-day sun, shall shine for ever on them. 
Then, and not till then, shall the darkness pass, and 
the true light without interruption sM$ff« While in 
the dark we wander, while in the gloom we grope, 
waiting for the longed-for day, we are ready to fall 
asleep, and to spend our time in slumbering thought- 
lessness in drowsy inactivity ; but when the day of 
glory shall spring, when the light of his countenance 
is lifted up oij us for ever-, and the noou of uninter- 
rupted Communion spreads around us, then, uncon- 
scious of the falling shades unconscious of returning 
night, divine strength from the Rock of ages shall in- 
vigorate every power of mind to adore the Most High, 
with all the ardour of seraphic love, an exercise as 
agreeable as it shall be uninterrupted and eternal. 

* Lethargic, drowsy. 



148 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OH, 



MEDITATION LXVII. 

STILL IGNORANT OF GOD BELOW. 

Feb. 11, 1759. 

It was a question proposed long ago, by a great 
teacher, in his divine lectures of God, "What is his 
name, and what is his Son's name, if thou canst tell ?" 
And it remains unanswered unto this day. "For no 
man knoweth the Son but the Father ; neither knoweth 
any man the Father but the Son, and he to whomso- 
ever the Son shall reveal him." Now, this revelation 
on account of our ignorance, cannot be bright ; for 
if, when the great Teacher told us of earthly things, 
we could not understand them, how much less if he 
should tell us of heavenly things, and least of all, if 
he should reveal to us the misteries of his eternal 
Godhead ! 

Alas! am not I, in some respects, a Christian hea- 
then, if T may be allowed the expression, while I pay 
my devotions to the unknown God? I walk in the 
twilight, I adore in a cloud, and worship I know not 
whom. But do I not worship God ? well, what is 
God? Is he not a spirit, infinite, eternal, and un- 
changeable ; wise, powerful, holy, just, good, gra- 
cious, faithful, omniscient, and omnipresent ? But 
what it is to be infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, I 
neither can conceive nor tell. I stretch my thoughts on 
either hand in his infinity, till I lose myself in the un- 
fathomable abyss ; I revolve his eternal duration ere 
time began, and when time shall be no more, till all 
my thoughts are swallowed up. But when I have 
done my utmost, my conceptions are only forming 
some grand ideas of a creature ; for as my thoughts 
of his infinity are circumscribed within bounds, and of 
his eternity come to an end, they belong to a crea- 
ture and not to the Creator. How, then, can I repair 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 148 

the indignity done to his majesty by my grovelling 
meditations ? Only thus, by confessing, that after all 
my stretch, his every perfection is still infinitely be- 
yond all that I can say or think. 

Hence, let me join reverence with my ignorance ; 
holy dread, with my shallow conceptions of God ; and 
ardent love, and profound humility, with all my devo- 
tions. Mindful that the awful mystery could be re- 
vealed by none, because none hath seen, none hath 
known God, let me be thankful, that u the only be- 
gotten Son, who lay in the Father's bosom, hath de- 
clared him." 

Every divine perfection, every adorable attribute, is 
more than sufficient to engross the study and atten- 
tion of men and angels for ever ; and the more they 
search, and the longer they learn, the more they see 
and confess God to be infinite and unknown. 

When shall that glorious morning dawn, when my 
ignorance, like the early fogs that fly the rising sun, 
shall be no more, and the great Apostle and High- 
Priest of our profession, shall, in the light of glory, de- 
clare to me the God whom now at best I ignorantly 
adore ? 



MEDITATION LXVIII. 

NOTHING CAN PURCHASE CHRIST FROM THE SOUL. 

Under sail, Feb. 13, 1759. 
e< What is thy Beloved more than another belov- 
ed ?" was once asked of the spouse by those who knew 
him not so well as she did. Now, worldlings ! let me 
hear what you will lay in the balance with ray Belov- 
ed, that, in refusing your largest offers, it may appear 
how much I esteem my dearest Lord, and best belov- 
ed. Will ye, then, give me gold and silver till lean 
desire, till I can stow no more ? Ah ! your heaps of 
shining dust will not, cannot purchase him from me. 
13* 



1 50 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

Will ye give me titles, honour, and glory for him ? Ah * 
empty sounds shall never take away from me, him who 
is true , solid, and substantial bliss. Will ye give me 
the earth for my possession, subjugate its kingdoms 
to my sway, tell over the stars into mine inheritance, 
and make the whole universe mine own ? This, even 
all this, will not balance the loss of my Beloved ; for, 
compared with his excellencies, all things are but loss 
and dung. Finally, will ye give me another beloved 
instead of him ? But where can such an one be found ? 
In him all perfections meet, in him all glories shine ; 
in him all excellencies reside, in him all plenitude 
abounds. All I can wish for, or desire, is to be found 
in him ; yea, more than I can receive superabounds in 
him. Now, have ye any thing in reserve to offer me 
for him ? No I — Then take up, and remove your dust 
and ashes, food for worms, and fuel for the flames. 
These could not all purchase from me one kiss of his 
mouth, one glance of his countenance, and far less 
the Beloved himself. But, one word of comfort to 
you ere you go. Though I may not, cannot, will not 
sell my part and interest in my dearest Lord, yet on 
his own terms, you may be possessed of him in ail his 
glorious fulness, in whom alone you can be bles- 
sed, and without whom, in the midst of all your 
plenty, you must be extremely poor, and exquisitely 
miserable. 

But now, my soul ! one reproof to thee. Thou wilt 
not sell thine interest in Christ for any thing, nor ex- 
change thy portion for the universe : Why, then, 
should not Christ, and an interest in him, be an all- 
sufficiency to thee ? And if the universe could not 
content thee without Christ, why should not Christ 
content thee without the least dust of the universe ? 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 151 



MEDITATION LXIX. 

TORMENT. 

Under Sail, Feb. 14, 1759. # 

Men, and I among the rest, have a mistaken notion 
of torment. I shudder to hear of protracted agonies 
on the dying malefactor ; — to hear of the rack (in- 
vented by boundless rage, and improved by infernal 
cruelty) decreed by the powerful offended party, to 
torture to death my fellow-creature. Yea, the groans 
of dying mortals pierce mine ears, and make me sha- 
rer of their pains. But what are all human inventions, 
when we look beyond them ? What is the glittering 
sword, or sharpened axe ? What the musket, with its 
deadly explosion ? What the gibbet, with ten thousand 
spectators ? What the bastinadoing clubs, the stamp- 
ing elephant, the quartering horses ? What the piked 
barrels, the breaking wheel, the boots and thumbkins, 
the suffocating dungeon, or the calcinating flame ? How 
do they all disappear before these words — divine ven- 
geance — eternal wrath ! 

But how do the tormentors fall short of their designs, 
when the guilty wretch, a parricide, or a regicide, is 
condemned to be put to the torture so long every day, 
and by unfriendly intermissions of the rack, death is 
parcelled out in the most cruel manner which can be 
invented, till justice is satisfied, cruelty glutted, or 
till the sufferer, sinking under his pains, expires, and 
is no more ! Now, suppose this miserable wretch 
(whom we conclude happy, because the scene no more 
affects our eyes) to die impenitent ; and suppose him 
also to have his choice, whether to stay in the anguish 
of the invisible world, or to return to the torments he 
lately left. How soon should we see him fondly (so 
to speak) embrace the flames, present his gaping 
wounds to the boiling oil and scalding lead, and his 



152 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

naked body to the scourging steel, and weary his tor- 
mentors ! Such is the difference betwen the rage of 
man and the wrath of the Almighty. That reaches to 
the body, but this, in all its terrors, transfixes the soul. 
The one, finite in its nature, terminates in death ; the 
other, infinite in its degrees, preys on every faculty, 
and swallows up the whole soul, and in its duration 
measures with eternity. 

How amazing the love of the Father that gave hi3 
Son for sinners ! How amazing the love of the Son 
that gave his life a ransom for many ! that sustained 
the burning load of his almighty Father's wrath, that 
our torments might sit light, and that our last pangs 
might translate us into the joy of our Lord. 

MEDITATION LXX. 

THE SOUL'S GROWTH. 

Under sail, Feb. 15, 1759. 

From my present ignorance, gloomy thoughts, some- 
times arise, but by some considerations I shall turn this 
shadow of death into the morning. 

When I look back a few years, I recollect, that my 
thoughts about common things were much contracted 
to what they are now. " When I was a child, I 
thought as a child ;" for though I heard surrounding 
sounds, and the speeches of all about me, yet they 
were too vast for me to comprehend; nor could I con- 
vey mine ideas to them in articulate words. — Yea, 
when I rose a little from this infantile state, I could 
not shake myself free of my ignorance, nor form any 
proper notion of the embelting oceans, opposite poles, 
antipodes, and the earth hung upon nothing. Still I 
knew nothing of the heavenly bodies, of the glorious 
sun, splendid moon, or sparkling stars ; of the beau- 
teous rainbow, falling showers and flashing thunders. 
These things, then too sublime for me to think on are 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 153 

now, in some sense, both intelligible and familiar - r 
and this arises, not from any addition of new powers, 
but from an increase of the faculties (by whatever 
means) of my soul. 

Now, let me turn the page, and let my meditation 
stretch its wings towards eternal bliss. It is a reviving 
thought, that this soul of mine, if united to the living 
Son of God, the life-giving Head, shall know divine 
things in the light of glory. Things which I have 
hardly heard of, and which, for the grossness of my 
ignorance now, cannot enter into my heart, shall then 
be my darling themes. Moreover, as sun, moon, 
and stars, appear more beautiful to me than formerly, 
not from any new addition of glory to them, but by 
my clearer knowledge of their nature and magnitude; 
so that I am convinced, that if the stars were as near 
us as the torch of day, they would all appear as so ma- 
ny flaming suns ; and that, if the sun himself were as 
near as the moon, whether I looked east or west, 
south or north, till my glance were terminated, till I 
should see nothing but one immense, insufferable, 
flaming firmament of fire ! so, when translated to the 
paradise of God, how shall my soul be delighted with 
the knowledge of the Most High, and ravished with 
the prospect of growing wiser and wiser in the things 
of God ! Though my soul shall then be perfect in 
comparison of what she is now, and perfect with re- 
spect to all the parts of knowledge, happiness, and 
bliss ; yet as to the extent of the degree, that shall al- 
ways be on the increase ; for though the finite mind 
can never know all that is to be known of an infinite 
Being, who only comprehends himself, yet it will be 
the excellency, the delight, and employment of glori- 
fied saints, still to aspire after more and more of God. 

Now, though no new perfections, attributes, excel- 
lencies, or glories shall ever be found in God, being 



154 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

all eternally and essentially in him, yet the longer I am 
in his presence, the more glorious will he be to me, 
because I shall know him more and more. And the 
more of him I know, the more shall I admire and 
love him; and the more I admire and love him, I shall 
become the liker to him ; and the liker to him, the 
larger and more capacious will my soul become ; and 
the more extensive the faculties of my soul are, the 
more shall I apprehend of God ; and the more of God is 
apprehended and known, the more he is glorified. 
Thus, in an eternal progression of knowing, admiring, 
loving, and being assimilated to God, and of enlarge- 
ment of the soul, whereby she will be enabled still the 
more to love, admire, and know, be assimilated to, ap- 
proach, and participate of the communicable perfec- 
tions of the Godhead, shall consist the uninterrupted 
employment and entrancing felicity of the blessed, 
while through the whole, God is all in all. 

Again, if there be such a difference between my 
thoughts when I first essayed to speak, and when arri- 
ved at ten years of age and between them at ten years 
old, and those of whom I am at present capabie ; what 
shall the divine increase of my soul be, when, in the 
beatific vision of Jehovah and the Lamb, I shall have 
been an astonished, ravished, ardent adoier for a 
thousand years, and add to that another thousand, till 
numbers fail, and computation is swallowed up in eter- 
nity itself? Shall I not kindle in his love, brighten in 
his flame, and be assimilated to him in his eternal irra- 
diation ? 

Again ; wheal consider the vast disproportion there 
is among the mental faculties of the sons of men, so 
that one has the most absurd views of all things while 
another has adequate conceptions of most things, and 
sublime though imperfect apprehensions of God him- 
self, I stand amazed to find, not only that the meanest 
gaint, who is united to him in whom the fulness of the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 155 

Godhead dwells bodily, far outshines the wisest men 
of the world, but that one saint differs greatly from 
another, not only in this world, but in the world to 
come. In the firmament of bliss, star differeth from 
star in glory, yet every star is glorious, and full of glo- 
ry. Now, this difference of degrees in glory, is began 
below. "He that sows sparingly, shall also reap 
sparingly ; but he that sows plentifully, shall reap 
plentifully" for ever. The soul that burns in the fire 
of love, shall come forth an immortal phoenix ; and as 
beds of gold are said to ripen in the beams of the sun, 
so shall they who lie most in the rays of the Sun of 
Righteousness, ripen into the brightest glory. Now, 
when all are plunged into felicity and glory, every 
^oul shall be perfect, and replenished with glory ; yet 
every soul shall preserve its attainments, keep the hap- 
py start, and retain its growth,when the weak are as 
the house of David, and the house of David as the an- 
gel of God. Therefore, the larger and more capacious 
the soul is, in an higher manner is God known ; and 
the more God is known, the more he is glorified ; and 
this advantage is to be pursued after, below. This is 
the seed-time for a plenteous eternity. This is the am- 
bition God allows, the avarice heaven commands. — 
What are kingdoms, crowns, or titles, what riches, glo- 
ry, fame, in comparison of this, to get my soul dilated, 
enlarged, capacitated to receive much of God, by 
which he will be glorified the more, and in which will 
consist the quintessence of my felicity for ever ? 



MEDITATION LXXL 

THIS LIFE A VALE OF TEARS. 

Feb. 19, 1759. 

Why have I mistaken this thorny wilderness for a 

garden of flowers ? this place of danger for a palace of 

delight ? and this howling desert for an enchanting 

grove ? If the world has joys, it has none for me ; they 



156 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

are carnal or unlawful, mine must be pure and spiritual. 
If the creature affords pleasures, they cannot suit my 
soul ; its honey is mixed with gall, its sweet with 
wormwood, its wine with water, its gold with dross, 
and all it yields, with poison. The pleasures I should 
seek are such as my soul may feed on without dan- 
ger, feast on without surfeiting, and rejoice in without 
sin. 

Again, why do I expect comfort in this world ? 
Can I hope, or even desire, to go through the valley 
of tears singing ? or to dwell in the house of mourning 
laughing ? Would I fare better than my best friend ? 
While here, he was a man of sorrows, and shall I not 
taste the briny cup ? He was acquainted with grief, 
and shall I be a stranger to it ? Would I be kindly en- 
tertained in that very place where he had not where 
to lay his head ? Would I fare like the kings of the 
earth, when the King of kings fared not so well as the 
fowls of heaven, or the foxes of the field? Would I 
go another way to glory than the saints ever trode ? 
Would I go through one heaven to another, when it 
is through much tribulation I must enter into the king- 
dom ? Can the children of the bride-chamber be glad 
when the bridegroom is not with them ? Can I be easy, 
can I be quiet, among the enemies of my Lord the 
King, where the general voice is, u shall this man 
reign over us ? We will not have him for our king, we 
will not take him for our Saviour." 

Oh ! that my head were waters, and mine eyes a 
fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for 
the sins of my fellow-creatures, for the slain of my 
fellow-sinners ! Let sorrow seize on my heart, and grief 
fix her iron talons there ; it is all I can do for the ho- 
nour of my Lord. I shall know no grief but for thee, 
no joy but in thee; — no grief but in thee, wounded 
in thy glory, blasphemed in thy name, disbelieved in 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 157 

thy promises, defamed in thy holiness, abused in thy 
saints, contemned in thy threatenings, slighted in thy 
love, and contradicted in thy truth ;-no joy but in thee, 
as my only portion, my exceeding great reward ; — no 
comfort but in thee, conquering in the everlasting gos- 
pel, and worshipped from the rising to the setting sun. 
This is the night of weeping ; and though weeping 
endure through the night of time, yet joy cometh in 
the morning of eternity. I must fight while on the 
field of battle ; and it is enough to get the crown 
when won. I am as an hireling, and I must not lie 
down to rest until the evening-shadows cover my wea- 
ry limbs. The world is too barren a soil to bear true 
joy ; for where sin within and round about abounds, 
how can consolation triumph, which rises only as the 
other falls, and falls as the opposite rises ? But in this 
my comfort lies, that though in the world I shall have 
trouble, yet in him I may be of good cheer, because 
he has overcome the world. Moreover, in midst of 
all the sorrow that now surrounds me, I have an in- 
ward joy that causes all my bones to sing and blossom 
with the beautiful prospect of a joy coming from its 
divine fountain, which, without the least fear of re- 
turning sorrow, shall be the strength of my soul for- 
ever. 



MEDITATION LXXII. 

THE MADNESS OF THE WORLD IN THEIR CHOICE. 

Under sail, Feb. 19, 1759. 
Why rejects the world the Saviour of the world? 
Why abhor they him who is altogether lovely, and hate 
him who is the best Friend of mankind ? Had I the 
tongue of a cherub, that has heard the language of 
glory, and mingled in the discourse of the hosts be- 
fore the throne for these ^ive thousand years ; or could 
I talk in every tongue, extend my voice to every na- 
14 



158 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

tion, and speak so loud and long, that the assembled 
universe should hear, what should be my theme, my 
darling, favourite theme ? Surely the Son of God, the 
Saviour of the world. How would I dwell on his di- 
vine name, and enlarge on his transporting relations, 
till all the needy nations fell prostrate adorers before • 
the throne of their kinsman-Redeemer, and their 
God ! But if they disdained to listen to a fellow-crea- 
ture, how would my soul cheerfully pour out herself 
into articulate thunder, or distinct echo, thereby to re- 
peat his praise, and convey his excellencies into the 
ear of thousands, and ten thousands of attentive hear- 
ers, till they should submit to him, bow the knee, and 
begin the work of heaven on earth. Then would I, 
with contentment, drop down into the dust, mingle 
with my kindred clay, and be no more. Yea, what 
would it matter though I should no more exist, if ten 
thousand thousand warbling tongues were added to the 
general song, to extol the fairest One. the Plant of re- 
nown forever ? Such an insignificant nothing as I am, 
would make no blank in the list of beings, or the roll 
of creation ; and O what massy joy would it afford me 
to think of the happiness of millions of my fellow crea- 
tures ! — But to quit with my being, I must quit with 
thee, my life, my love, my God, my all ! I fly the very 
thought, and to my happiness shall still exist, and to 
my greater happiness still, exist the friend of God ! 

But what shall I do for my best Beloved ? I dare 
not sometime speak of him, and many times on his 
account I am a derision. But, O men of the world ! 
what can you desire that is not in Christ? What dis- 
tress can you dread, from which he cannot deliver 
you ? The excellencies of earth are but his footstool, 
the excellencies of heaven are but his throne ; how 
excellent, then, must he himself be ! His treasures are 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 159 

infinite, and open for you, riches, if ye are poor ; 
honour, if ye are despised ; friendship, if ye are for- 
saken ; help, if ye are orphans ; justice- if ye are in- 
jured ; mercy, if ye are miserable ; joy, if ye are dis- 
consolate ; protection, if ye are exposed ; deliverance, 
if ye are in danger ; health, if ye are in disease ; life, 
if ye are mortal ; and, in brief all tilings, if ye have 
nothing at all. Time and eternity are his and he can 
give you all the good things of the one- and all the 
glorious things of the other. — Moreover, he can deliv- 
er you from all your fears ; from sin, the worst of all 
evils ; from self, the most hurtful of all companions ; 
from death, the most awful of all changes ; from Sa- 
tan, the most subtle of all enemies ; from hell, the 
most horrible of all prisons ; and from wrath, the 
doom of all sinners. 

Now, where will ye find such an one as he ? Why, 
then, refuse life and seek after death ? All heaven is 
enamoured with his beauty ; and why, then, will ye 
prefer a midnight-gloom before his meridian glory ? 
the longer we look on created gaieties, they grow the 
leaner and more ill-favoured ; so that, by the time we 
have viewed them forty, fifty, or sixty years, we see 
nothing but vanity in the creature ; but when ten 
thousand ages are employed in beholding this Perfec- 
tion of beauty, still he appears more and more lovely, 
even altogether lovely. Why will not the world awa- 
ken from its fatal dream, let go shadows, and grasp at 
everlasting substance? Alas! I can say nothing of 
his excellencies ; they overvvelm my labouring thought, 
and are too vast for my feeble conception to bring 
forth. 

But let the world choose whom or what it will for a 
portion, still, as for me and my house, and all I can 
prevail upon, we will choose this well-beloved, and 
serve this Lord. 



160 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 



MEDITATION LXXIII. 

THE APPROACHING HAPPINESS OF THE SAINTS. 

Feb. 23, 1759. 

To escape my sorrow, and triumph in the midst of 
grief, let me suppose futurity present, and eternity at 
hand, which may very soon, but must ere long, be the 
case. May I not then, with the eye of all-triumphant 
faith, think I see myself walking with my well-beloved 
in white along the fields of glory, and my whole soul 
going out to him in a manner it never could below ! 
While floods of glory from his reconciled face overflow 
me, and the smile of his amiable countenance entran- 
ces my soul for ever! While I join the hosannas of 
the higher house, the eternal hallelujahs, and begin the 
song which none can learn but the chosen number, the 
sealed ones ! With what transport do I mingle with 
the hosts of God, and, to my extreme comfort, fear 
not one sinner in the heavenly company, or any thing 
expressed against the majesty of the Most High 1 
Where all the heavenly multitudes, transforming in his 
beams, kindling in his flames, and drinking at his ec- 
static rivers, are happy beyond conception. 

Such is the felicity the saints shall enter into, yea, 
in a manner are entered into already. So short is the 
interval between now and then, this present and that 
future state, that their glory is as it were begun. 
Faith and hope entering like an anchor within the vail, 
the saints of God rise at one step from this vale of 
tears, to the hill of God, to the mount of communion. 
Now, why should the noise of the rabble, or uproar in 
the street, trouble me, when I am entering the very 
door of my everlasting habitation, and shall soon be 
eternally out of the reach of their confusion aud mur- 
murs ? Henceforth, let the near prospect of that eter- 
nal triumph blunt my present grief, scatter my troubles?, 
and spread serenity in my breast. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 



161 



MEDITATION LXXIV. 

WHAT W£ SHOULD EXPECT AND WAIT FOR. 

Gibralter Bay, Feb. 24, 1759. 
How are our joys heightened by hope, and that, 
sometimes, an hope that is false ! And how vainly are 
our expectations pointed at some future enjoyment, 
which, when it comes, shall perhaps disappoint us in 
the enjoyment 1 Yet, for such things we long, though, 
in a manner we are hankering after our own misery. 
But how much does it rather become me, if I be an 
heir of God, an expectant of bliss, and a candidate 
for glory, to be waiting for him who shall appear the 
second time without sin unto salvation ; to be hasten- 
ing unto the day of the Lord, and crying, " Why is 
his chariot so long in coming ? why tarry the wheels 
of his chariot ?" When will these empyrean heavens 
divide, to let my Lord descend ? When will these ce- 
lestial doors fly <9pen, that the exalted One may come 
in all his state, in his own and in his Father's glory, 
with his holy angels ? When shall the starry way of 
eternal communion be stretched out between the 
highest heavens, and the new earth, wherein shall 
dwell righteousness ? When shall I begin to behold 
him in all his glory, whom eye hath not seen, and to 
see thee without a cloud, who art altogether lovely ? 
When shall my soul be revived with the smell of the 
Rose of Sharon in the paradise of God, and sit down 
with great delight under the shadow of the Tree of 
life, the Plant of Renown, and eat of thy immortali- 
zing fruit, and drink of thy refined wine ? When shall 
I join my songs with the anthems of eternity, and min- 
gle my grateful notes with the harpers round the 
throne ? When shall the hiding hills, the intervening 
heights, be molten down by the beatific vision of thy 
blessed self, and the valley of darkness, and deeps of 
14* 



162 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

despondency, rise into the mount of communion ?: 
When shall I enter into the joy of my Lord, walk 
with thee in white, and be satisfied with thy likeness I 
Then shall I know thee as I expect, praise thee as I 
aspire after, and love thee as I would. 



MEDITATION LXXV. 

THE SPIRITUAL MISER. 

Gibraltar Bay, Feb. 25, 1759. 

Who is more an object of ridicule than the rich 
miser, that goes supperless to bed, because he will 
not give one farthing out of his immense sums to pur- 
chase it ; being afraid to live on what he is never able 
to spend, and anxious to heap up what he can never 
enjoy. 

Shall I, then, act the miser in spiritual things ? 
Shall I be afraid to live on the all-sufficient fulness 
of my Lord, lest his stores decay ? ^hall I spare to 
drink of his overflowing ocean, lest it grow dry before 
my face ? Heaven no less loves a liberal receiver, 
than a liberal giver. Is it decorous to hunger at the 
table of the king, or to say to the enriching hand, 
Hold, thou canst not spare so much ? The miser's 
wretched parsimony may, after his death, advantage 
his heirs, and, in the mean time, accumulate his own 
riches ; but the case is not so with me. My living 
for the present poorly and sparingly on the promises, 
will never advantage my after-stale, nor leave any 
greater plenty for other saints ; neither will it make 
the celestial treasures any fuller, that I fetch not daily 
from them. Though Daniel looked fairer than those 
that fed on the polluted bread of the King of Babylon, 
yet my soul will look but thin and lean, unless it feed 
and feast on the daily allowance of the King of glory, 
whose table is covered with an infinite plenty. All 
the angels and all the saints may banquet continually 
without lessening the divine store, which, as to the. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 163 

display and manifestation, increases, as once or twice 
in the days of his flesh, among the numerous eaters, 
and grows among the happy guests. Why then pine 
at such a table, starve in the midst of so much plenty, 
,and convert divine liberality into the parsimony of un- 
belief? SI**ill I confine that bounty that is rather non- 
plussed where to pour its plenitude (because few 
will accept of Christ and his fulness) than at a loss for 
a superabundancy to bestow ? 

Henceforth let my soul by faith live at large on the 
promises, and be spiritually grand at the expenses of 
the King, who will not grudge it. Let me put on the 
royal apparel of the Son of God, the vesture of im- 
puted righteousness ; and, as a sign that this is the 
embroidered garment of my inner man, keep clean 
hands, and an holy walk. Why should I creep and 
grovel in the by-ways of darkness, and foot-paths of 
despondency, when I may ride in the chariot of the 
covenant, which Solomon has built for the daughters 
of Jerusalem, and paved its midst with love ? Why 
should I walk a-foot through fear and faithlessness, 
when my seat is empty there, and none can take it 
up ? Then, to the honour of him to whom I belong, 
I will appear like one of the royal family of heaven. 
I will rejoice in him always, and again I will rejoice. 
I will feast my soul with his divine dainties, and suck 
the honey of the promises. I will satiate myself with 
his goodness, and drink at his river that gladdens the 
city of God. I will not dwell in the shadow of sorrow, 
but come out and walk in the light of his countenance, 
in the brightness of his glory. I will importune his 
sin-subduing grace, and plead for strength to fight 
the battles of the Lord, that in his name I may con- 
quer all my foes. I will expatiate on the opulence of 
my treasure, the extent of my inheritance, and the ex- 
cellencies of my Beloved ; and live to the glory of him 



184 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

who giveth me all things richly to enjoy, according to 
to the rank of an heir of God, according to the gran- 
deur of a joint-heir with Christ. 



MEDITATION LXXVI. 

CONTRADICTIONS. 

Gibraltar Bay, Feb. 26, 1759. 

I am ever guilty of some folly, some unaccountable 
folly ; and either my faith condemns my fears, or my 
fears accuse my faith of folly. If I may safely trust 
to God as my guardian and guide, in the shadow, in 
the darkness of death, where, for all my friends, where, 
for the whole world, I must walk alone ; why should 
I distrust him in the high-way of life, where thousands 
walk with me ? Dare I commit the concerns of my 
soul to him, and hope for salvation in his name, yet 
distrust him with the cares of my present life, nor 
hope for its necessaries in his providence ? Can I 
venture my soul into his hand, and think it safe through 
the intricate mazes of an eternal duration, yet doubt 
if I may depend on his promise and providence, through 
the few windings of a transitory life ? Or will God 
care for the soul, but cast off the body ? Will he feed 
the raven, deck the Illy, but starve the saint? "Will 
he give of the good things of this life, even to super- 
fluity, to his enemies, and withold necessary supplies 
from his people ? A naked supply here is enough for 
those that shall inherit all things hereafter. Can he 
guide the stars in their courses, and the orderly revo- 
lution of day and night, summer and winter, seed-time 
and harvest, and not over-rule the occurrences of my 
life ? Can he, who has given up his Son freely for 
me, not as freely to me with him give all good things? 
Do I conceit God to be the God of the mountains of 
eternity, but not of the valleys of time ; and that be- 
cause his habitation is in the heights of glory, he gov- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 165 

erns not the deep places of the earth, which are also 
in his hand ? How great a beast in sacred matters 
am I, who can devolve my great all on him, and yet 
distrust him with trifles, and what is nothing at all ! 

Now, as all I seek is to enter the gate of glory, not 
anxious what will become of me afterward, or how 
the vast demands of my enlarged soul, mine immortal 
powers, shall be supplied through endless ages ; even 
so, as I am already entered among the numerous be- 
ings of this lower orb, all which are supplied from his 
bounty, preserved by his power, and governed by his 
providence, I have no cause of anxiety about my pre- 
sent situation, about my passing life ; only, in the 
lawful use of lawful means, to commit all into his 
hand, who does all things well, and gives to all his 
people an expected end. 



MEDITATION LXXVII. 

THE CONFUSION OF THE WICKED AT THE GENERAL JUDGMENT 

Gibraltar Bay, Feb. 28, 1759. 
Alas ! men now sin with impunity and boldness ; 
but when I dart my thoughts beyond the grave, and 
see the sinning multitude gathered before the awful 
bar, the angry tribunal, the vindictive Judge, how will 
they look ? Have I ever seen one affronted, and put 
to the blush ? One sentenced to infamy, one put in- 
to the highest throes of unruly passion, or one con- 
demned to death ? All this is like modesty blushing 
in comparison of the confusion of guilt, and the eter- 
nal gloom of horror, which shall take fast hold on 
them, when the incensed Judge pronounces their sen- 
tence in these killing words, Depart from me. Where 
will they hide their guilty heads, and where conceal 
their shame ? They will not be able to cover with a 
good countenance their condemnation, as they do now 
their sin which causes it. How will the ground shake, 



166 gOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

and the earth tremble beneath the trembling multi- 
tude ! What fearful aspects ! What rueful looks ! 
what rolling eyes ! what frightful gestures ! what la- 
mentable bowlings ! what doleful bewailings ! what 
preposterous complaints! what despairing expressions! 
what agonizing groans ! what intolerable horror! what 
gnawing anguish ! what starings of guilt ! what roar- 
ings of awakened conscience ! and what horrible blas- 
phemies against the divine Judge himself, shall they 
be subject to, and employed in, in that tremendous 
day ! How will they call to the hills to hide them, 
and run to be lost in the ruins of the tumbling rocks, 
but in vain ! 

But whence will these spectres come, these trem- 
bling ones be gathered ? From another w r orld? Ah I 
they are even of these gay and gallant ones, who now 
walk the round of life, jocund and unconcerned, and 
ignorant of godly sorrow ! but who shall then be over- 
whelmed, and that for ever, with a grief too vast for 
language to express, too tremendous and unintelligi- 
ble for conception to apprehend ; but such as every 
son of man, in the time of hope, the place of repen- 
tance, and day of grace, should study to escape : for 
even Bedlam, compared to them, is an house of so- 
ber- witted men ! Who knows the power of thy wrath ? 
Who knows it but the damned ? And yet they know 
it not, for an eternity of torment is but teaching them 
the agonizing lesson. Who dares to know r it but the 
bold, the blind, the head-strong sinner, who never 
puts the question to himself that concerns him most, 
and might awake him, " Who of us can dwell with 
devouring fire? who with everlasting burnings ? How 
shall we escape the wrath to comet" 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 167 



MEDITATION LXXVIII. 

MERCIES ABUSED. 

Gibr alter Bay, March, 1, 1759. 

Many are the mercies we receive from heaven ; but 
it is shocking to think how we convert these mercies 
into an occasion of sin, and make them the cause of 
awful miseries. By the senses of the body the soul 
is wounded (and yet the loss of any one sense is a 
sensible affliction;) while our eyes, which should 
look right on, and by which we may search the scrip- 
tures of truth, are full of adultery, and used only in 
conveying vain objects to our mind ; while our ears, 
that should hear the sound of the everlasting gospel, 
the words of life, take in only blasphemies, backbit- 
ings, evil reports, impure discourse, vain jangiings 
and contentions ; and, alas ! are entertained there- 
with, while our lips and tongues, that should move 
only to mutual edification, are employed in detraction 
and slander, and dwell on profane and trifling themes; 
and while our feet, that should carry us to the house 
of God, and about our lawful affairs, run only to mis- 
chief, and are swift in the ways of wickedness. 

Morever, we abuse common mercies also, turning 
a full table into gluttony and drunkenness : compe- 
tency into excess ; plenty into extravagance ; appa- 
rel into pride ; station into Yain show ; confidence 
into arrogance ; riches into presumption ; honour in- 
to haughtiness ; and power into oppression. Yea, 
we also abuse mercies of a more noble nature, while 
we employ our wisdom in wrangling, our parts in 
perverse disputings, our attainments in ostentation, 
and our knowledge in emulation. Finally, in every 
thing we offend : while under afflictions, we are faith- 
less ; in trials, distrust the promise ; and when disap- 
pointed, despond. Of deliverance, we are forgetful ; 



168 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; 0E, 

in prosperity, secure ; in sickness, sullen or stupid ; 
and in health, full of levity, and a delight in earthly 
things. Thus, by the abuse of mercies, we turn the 
grace of God into wantonness. 

Surely the mercies of the Most High are above all 
his works, and fill the.earth. He continues to bestow 
those very mercies on us, which we so much abuse, 
when he might at once strike us blind, dumb, and 
deaf; when he might at once blow upon our bless- 
ings, and cause our table-comforts to decay ; when 
he might tread us in the mire of adversity, and cause 
the waters of affliction to flow over our heads ; when 
he might blast our judgment, sense, and reason, and, 
turning us into idiots, make us objects of pity to all ; 
and when he might hide his countenance, and make 
us go mourning without the sun. To him, whose 
mercies know no bound, let our praises know no end. 



MEDITATION LXXIX. 

THE FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES. 

Gibraltar Bay, March 2, 1759. 

To forgive our enemies, and forget the injuries 
which have been done us, is a noble, though very dif- 
ficult duty; and from the opposition it meets with 
from within, I find that it is above the natural man to 
perform. Nature would make less resistance to it, 
if it were less godlike and divine. There are some 
men who have done me injuries in more respects than 
one ; and, alas ! I find that I can scarcely recollect 
their names without these injuries, though done to me 
years ago, presenting themselves as if they had hap- 
pened yesterday. This shows the rancour of my 
mind, and the deep impressions such things make 
there, while the mercies of the Most High are shame- 
fully forgotten. But now let me compose my mind r 
and reconcile it to the duties of Christianity. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 169 

The whole law hangs on this, to love God and my 
neighbour, and if I love the one, I shall love the 
other : but if I love not him whom I have seen, how 
can I love him whom I have not seen ? Now, my 
neighbour is not he who does me benign actions, for 
such the worst of sinners love and regard, but every 
one of the human race, round about me. What- 
soever they do to me, that cannot loose a relation 
that is indissolvable. When they defame me, I must 
speak well of them ; when they revile me, I must en- 
treat. Though they would starve me, I must feed 
their hunger ; though they strip me. I must kindly 
clothe their nakedness ; though they curse, I must 
bless ; though they persecute, I must pray ; and 
though they rise up in war against me, yet when they 
yield themselves prisoners, and so become suppliants 
for mercy, I must not slay them, but preserve them 
alive, protect them, pour oil into their wounds, and 
supply their necessities. Yet this universal forgive- 
ness is not, by a too extensive clemency, to oppose 
the exercise of justice in respect of murderers, nor 
infringe the moral law with regard to those that 
should die. But, alas ! instead of being in danger of 
erring on this, I am on the opposite extreme ; for 
while I should forgive what they do against me, and 
pray for forgiveness of that whereby they have sinned 
against God, I neither forgive them myself, nor seek 
forgiveness from heaven to them. 

Now, if I should thus behave with the men of the 
world, how should I behave with the saints, who are 
the excellent ones of the earth ? However they may 
deal with me in this world, that cannot loose the tie, 
or dissolve the brotherhood, which is firm in him of 
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. 
Can a trivial difference break a bond that is firmer 
U 



170 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

than flesh and blood ? They can never much harm 
me in worldly things, who are for Christ in spiritual ; 
and though the old man between us should fall out, 
yet the new man shall ever be friends. If the con- 
tention between corruption and corruption be so 
sharp, that conversation for a time is broken off, yet 
I shall talk with them in my love, and embrace them 
in mine affection ; and we will only esteem one an- 
other like friends separated for a time, who will have 
greater joy at meeting. Here we are in the body, 
and therefore should bear one another's burdens. — 
We cannot live like angels in this imperfect state ; 
why then should I catch like a serpent at the failings 
of others ? Will the hand refuse to feed the mouth, 
because the foot has stumbled ? Is it comely for the 
members of one body to fall a-jarring with one ano- 
ther ? Is it comely for one to cast off some Chris- 
tian duties, because another Christian has some fail- 
ings ? Would to God all the world were the friends 
of Christ, though they were my foes ; then should I 
love them, and delight in them : for when the sanc- 
tified ones are all assembled before the throne, there 
eternal harmony shall reign, concord and amity pre- 
vail ; there differences shall be swallowed up in the 
divine overflowings of eternal love. Why then, on 
any account, should my affection be cold towards them, 
towards whom it shall glow for ever, when they are 
arrayed with the divine likeness of the Son of God ? 
Let me therefore bury all my injuries in the deepest 
oblivion, be reconciled to my friends, however they 
have dealt with me ; and if ever I remember any 
thing they have done amiss, let it be only to magnify 
the goodness of God, who excels so far the best of 
creatures, and outdoes in sympathy and kindness the 
most tender-hearted friend, but not to diminish my 



HISCELLANEOXJS MEDITATIONS . 171 

love of them who are still the excellent ones of the 
earth. 

Whether the difference be civil or religious, the 
time approaches, O saint ! when thou and I shall for- 
get our sharp contests, as waters that flow away. 
When we meet on the heavenly Mount Zion, we shall 
meet as angels, and embrace as seraphim. — When 
we put on the perfection of the triumphant state, we 
shall put off self, the narrow spirit, and uncharitable 
thought. In the light of glory, we shall see eye to 
eye ; and as we are all united to Christ, being one 
with him who is one with the Father, so we shall be 
united to one another, being all one in him. Were 
not shame the daughter of sin, which therefore ceases 
when sin is no more, as the stream when the fountain 
fails, surely we should blush that ever the thine and 
mine about perishing f things should hinder us, who shall 
see the whole world in flames, from conversing about 
that after state, those new heavens and new earth, 
wherein dwelleth righteousness, that perfect pleni- 
tude that remains for both. Come then, and let us 
antedate eternity, by throwing differences of every 
kind away, and becoming one in harmony and peace. 
Let us crucify self, and the better part will re-unite. 
It is not strange that men of such passions should fall 
out, but it is strange that men of such expectations 
should live and die in a difference. Let it not, then, 
my soul, fail on thy side. Forgive, forget, remember 
injuries no more than if they had never been done 
thee. Triumph in oblivion. Be valiant in conquer- 
ing pride, wrath, and revenge. Expect not the con- 
cession on his side that has done thee wrong ; but 
do thou rather yield, and win him by thy gentle and 
Christian behaviour under thy injuries. Fix thine 
eye on that future tranquility which shall be enjoyed 
in heaven, and that will instruct thee how to guide 



172 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OB, 

thyself now. Anger rests only in the bosorn of fools. 
Entertain not a disposition of mind that thou wouldst 
gladly be quit of, when going into eternity. Think 
little of thyself, and thou wilt not take it ill that 
others think the same. Strive for the highest degree 
of Christian purity, gospel-perfection, attainable be- 
low. Lift up thine eye to the other world, and in all 
things remember, prepare, and look out for the com- 
ing of the Lord, who will be the joy and peace of his 
people to eternity. 



MEDITATION LXXX. 

THE EXCELLENCY OF RELIGION. 

Under sail, March 4, 1759. 
The world may say as it will of religion, but it is 
only by it that the human mind is exalted, and men 
rise into angels. The pleasures of religion sweeten 
my acid griefs, and blunt my accute pains. In this 
I triumph over my troubles, defy mine enemies, and 
outrun my woes. Here I relish unseen realities, taste 
spiritual joys, and eat of the hidden manna. Here, 
in the chariot of the covenant, seated in the promise, 
Elijah-like, I leave the whole creation, and wing to 
the inheritance above, where at once I am possessed 
of the divine plenitude of the Eternal, bathe in life's 
crystal streams, and bask in his meridian ray : Where 
I shall drink (and the time is not far distant) the im- 
mortalizing draught, and eat the bread of life in the 
kingdom of God : where my raptured tongue shall 
join its anthem with the harpers round the throne, 
and never cease, and never tire : Where I shall see 
him who is altogether lovely, in the brightest displays 
of his glory, and hear the tenderest expressions of his 
everlasting love : Where I shall share of his excellen- 
cies, participate of his divine nature, and put on 
his amazing similitude : Where I shall enjoy an inef- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 173 

fable union with my living Head, and know, in the 
largest meaning of the word, that " he that is joined 
to the Lord is one spirit:" Where communion be- 
tween the well-beloved and his spouse shall be full 
and free? to the ecstacy of every power of the mind : 
Where I shall be allowed an access so near, that it 
shall astonish me in my very approaches : Where I 
shall sit before his throne, walk with him in white, 
and in his temple speak of his glory : W T here I shall 
launch out into the unfathomable ocean of his infinite 
perfections, and be eternally lost in the divine review : 
Where I shall no more be vexed with an evil heart of 
unbelief in departing from the living God, but have 
my soul immoveably fixed on the unchangeable God : 
Where my body in all its members, my soul in all her 
faculties, shall be holy and pure, and go unweariedly 
out on God : Where the least temptation shall not 
whisper in mine ear, nor the carnal speech, nor pro- 
faning tongue, (O happy days !) grate the sanctified 
organ, but loud encomiums to him that loved us, from 
all the hosts around the throne, convey the harmony 
of eternal song, to sooth my every power into the pro- 
foundest ecstacy, and to excite my song to confess his 
essential glories in sublimest anthems : where I shall 
see the King Eternal in his immaculate beauty, wor- 
ship him without hypocrisy, serve him without wea- 
rying, behold him and not die, approach his throne 
without terror, know him (being relieved from misap- 
prehensions) as he is, see him in all his greatness, yet 
not, Daniel-like, be weakened, but strengthened by 
the vision ; delight in him without slavish fear, love 
him without reserve, and be like him without contra- 
diction : Where I shall see him in his robes of state, 
in his essential glories, dwelling in very deed with 
men, though the heaven of heavens cannot contain 
him, and showing them his goings, his majestic steps 
15* 



174 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

in the highest sanctuary, the holy of holies, and mak- 
ing all his goodness to pass eternally before their 
wondering, their adoring, their ravished eyes ! 

With such endearing prospects, such reviving ex- 
pectations, as these, my soul is refreshed in religion. 
But what is on the other hand ? What have the ir- 
religious, who relish none of these things, to expect 
but gulfs of horror, pits of despair, seas of fire, oceans 
of vengeance, chains of wrath, floods of indignation, 
unutterable anguish, utter darkness, eternal torments, 
and such a scene of agonies as chills my thoughts* 



MEDITATION LXXXI. 

CHRIST, AND NONE BUT HE, SATISFIETH DESIRES. 

Under sail, March 7, 1759. 

There is a restless, a boundless desire in the mind 
of man for something which this world in all its glory 
is unable to bestow. This immortal appetite, this 
living desire, blinded mortals seek to gratify, some on 
honour, others on pleasure, some on riches, others 
on empire and glory ; and need we therefore be sur- 
prised that they are never satisfied ? Though I could 
trace my pedigree through illustrious heroes, and re- 
nowned kings, back to the first foundation of king- 
doms, this would not furnish my soul with all it would 
desire. Though I had the knowledge of all the sons 
of men summed up in myself, so that the eastern magi 
and wisest philosophers might come and learn at 
my feet, still my desire would have its void to fill. 
Though I had all magnificent titles, honorary epi- 
thets, aggrandizing distinctions, and appellations of 
renown, even these would not fill the extensive blank. 
Though I had the uncontrolled dominion of the whole 
universe devolved on me, so that my name were re- 
vered in every nation, statues set up to me in all 
lands, and my fame and glory echoed through the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS 175 

subject kingdoms, still would my desires be making 
new demands. Though Arabia, as my possession, 
should present me all her fragrant gums, the Indies, 
as mine inheritance, amass for me their riches, and all 
kingdoms, as tributary, send me their productions; 
•though the earth should burst open all her silver veina 
and golden mines to enrich my treasures ; though my 
throne were of one pearl, and my crown of one dia- 
mond ; though my life-guards were kings, my menial 
servants princes, and my immediate subjects nobles ; 
though the daily guests of my table were thousand* 
and ten thousands of honourable personages ; and 
though, for the entertainment of my table, my flocks 
should cover every hill, my herds range over every 
flowery vale, and the fowls of every wing alight around 
my palace, while the fish of every fin came, when 
needed, spontaneously ashore; though the fountains 
should flow with oil, the rivers stream with wine, and 
the forests drop honey ; yet my heart would not say, 
It is enough. — -Though perpetual summer should 
shine on the place of my habitation, and storms and 
tempests stand at a distance from my abode ; though, 
according to the philosopher's conceits, the worlds 
on the other side of the sun should own my sceptre ; 
though the sparkling stars, the glories of the higher 
firmament, that rise sphere above sphere innumera- 
ble, were added to my inheritance ; though I had the 
faculties of the first sons of light, the knowledge of 
an angel, and the penetration of a seraph ; there 
would still be something wanting, without which I 
could not be happy. Though my health were never 
attacked by sickness, but my family flourishing as 
the blooming flowers, my offspring numerous as the 
piles of grass that clothe the verdant plain, and never 
lessened by death; and though in this happiness I 
should multiply my days as the eagle, and my years 



176 tOLITTOB sweetened; or, 

as the sand ; yet my desires would then be as far 
from being satisfied, as when I began to enjoy this 
ehadowy, this imaginary all. 

Where, then, is this all-sufficient plenitude to be 
found ? or what is it that will satiate my immense de- 
sires ? A triune God reconciled in his own Son, and 
conveying himself in the promise to my faith, as the 
spiritual riches, infinite plenitude, and eternal portion 
of my immortal soul. 

All the gathered parts of creation, knowledge, ti- 
tles, honour, riches, renown, attendants, dependants, 
family, friends, connexion, dominion, health, longev- 
ity, and every other excellence, are but like a drop 
to my parched soul, of which I could swallow many, 
and yet be altogether faint beneath the scorching 
beam. But Christ is an ocean of overflowing ful- 
ness. I stand on its shore, and am astonished ; I 
look, and in its boundless extension lose myself; I 
possess, and am replenished that I can desire no more. 
What a divine plenitude is this divine one ! All things 
without Christ cannot give satisfaction ; for truly 
without Christ all things are nothing, but with him 
what seems next to nothing is more and better than 
the worldling's all things. Material things, however 
excellent, suit not, satisfy not the immaterial and im- 
mortal soul ; but in Christ there is something that sa- 
tiates, refreshes, and enraptures the believing soul, 
even when my prospect is towards that tremendous 
day, when nature shall be set on flames; or further 
still, towards eternity, where the creature dares not 
present itself as a proper portion for the soul. «' In 
him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ;" 
and my desires are complete in him. I can go no 
further, I can wish no more than he has. Then, for 
the present, I am happier than the happiest worldling, 
having an heaven in possession, for u faith is the sub- 



MISCELLANEOUS JttEPITATIONS. 177 

stance of things hoped ;" while an heaven of rapture 
and delight, floods of ecstacy and bliss, are in reserve 
for me, to be bestowed at the general DEAi of glory 
to the sons of God. 



MEDITATION LXXXII. 

THE AGGRANDIZING VISIT. 

Mediterranean Sea, March, 10, 1759. 

If a fellow-creature, who has gathered together 
more riches than many of his acquaintance, or has at- 
tained to more honour, and has more high-sounding 
titles than others, condescends, as they call it, to visit 
an inferior, or to admit an inferior to visit him, the 
whole neighbourhood is astonished, and the men that 
receive the compliment consider themselves as highly 
honoured by it. Yet what is this person with whoss 
visit they are so delighted, but a worm of the earth, a 
grasshopper, that crawls on the face of the ground ? 
As, however, infinite wisdom has divided the inhabi- 
tants of the world into different classes, distinctions, 
and orders, for a time, the sons of men are not to de- 
spise such a visit ; but as it is only for a lime, the 
saints, the sons of God, are not to idolize it, or think 
that riches and honour are the channel through which 
the favour and love of God to his people is conveyed. 

But how stupid are the world, that never observe 
the great hononr done to the saints, when the royal 
family of heaven makes them an abiding visit! '< Be- 
hold I stand at the door, and knock; and if any man 
hear my voice, and open to me, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he with me." There the 
Creator and creature sit at one table ! And God, to 
the astonishment of angels, is gone to be a guest with 
men ! Such a visit is to be contended for ; such a 
guest is to be received with open arms, and entertain- 
ed with flowing love, like that of the spouse, who 



178 eoLiTtroa sweetened ; OK, 

said, " While the King sitteth at his table, my spike- 
nard sendeth forth the smell thereof. " Nor is the 
heavenly visit a transient one, like those among the 
eons of men; for, says the glorious visitant, " If a 
man love me, my Father will love him, and we will 
come unto him, and make our abode with him." 

It is much to see a great person visit a poor man, 
more to see a king enter tke homely roof, but most of 
all, if ever after the visit he were to keep his court at 
the humble cottage. Yet if it holds true, that " where 
the king is, there is the court," surely it is so here ; 
-for, however meanly the saints think of themselves 
(which, for many reasons, it well becomes them to 
do, though God deals kindly with them) yet since the 
King and the King's Son, even the eternal, undivided 
family of heaven, dwells with them, there must be the 
life-guards of immortal angels, and thousands of fiery 
chariots, to defend them from all dangers, to deliver 
them from all foes. — How happy then, are the saints 
of God ! how happy the select number, whom the 
world think so meanly of, and count so miserable ! 

But, again, great men may make a visit to poor 
creatures, without changing their condition. It will 
not make a poor man rich, that a rich man visits him, 
unless he proves a liberal donor, or a generous bene- 
factor also. Nor will it exalt a subject, a slave to a 
throne, that a king comes to see him. But it is other- 
wise here : Heaven is always in the visit of the Most 
High ; and whatever the man has been before, he is 
assuredly an heir of glory, with whom God comes to 
dwell. For as by his spirit he dwells in and with his 
people for eternity, so by faith here, and visions here- 
after, they dwell in and with him for the same desira- 
ble term. O then that the saints would think more 
highly of themselves, in living above the world, and 
its vanities, and in walking like those whom the King 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 179 

Eternal honours with a visit ! — Should any of their 
surly and ill-natured neighbours make them sad of 
heart, when the Lord of heaven and earth counte- 
nances them in so singular a manner ? 

Now, if it aggandizes men, that the nobles of the 
earth visit them, and that great men take any notice of 
them, surely the saints are to me the most excellent of 
all men, with whom the God of glory condescends to 
dwell. But how shall I evidence that God dwells with 
me ? By walking like one who has been with Jesus, 
with an heavenly mien, and divine carriage. Then, 
let the King of glory visit my heart, and I shall never 
seek to tread in the court of kings. Let my conver- 
sation be in heaven, and I shall not care, though the 
great men of the world never converse with me. Be- 
tween my soul and the throne let a daily correspond- 
ence be kept up, and I shall cheerfully live in the most 
complete retirement, and recluse solitude from all 
mankind. 



MEDITATION LXXXIII. 

CAUSES OF HUMILITY. 

Under sail, Straits , March 17, 1759. 

As only in night-dreams I cross impassable rivers, 
climb tremendous precipices, or fly in the open air ; 
so it is only in spiritual slumber that I mount on the 
imaginary wing, climb the height of self-conceit, and 
stand on the precipice of pride. Were I truly awake, 
instead of being puffed up, I should tremble at my 
situation. In truth, there is nothing either in the for- 
tune, persons, or minds of the sons of men, that 
ought to make them proud. We need never be proud 
of riches; for, besides the disquieting nature of them, 
we can never be possessed of so vast a sum, but we 
may die beggars ; nor of honour, for our glory may 
turn into disgrace, and our character into reproach ; 



180 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

nor of offspring, for death, like a lion, waits only the 
permissive nod to devour every one of them ; nor of 
strength, health, or beauty, for disease lies dormant 
in every part, ready to break out into the canker of 
corruption ; nor of any faculty of the mind, seeing 
our brightest wisdom is but folly to God, yea, to an- 
gels ; and sickness can deprive us of the boasted pos- 
6ession, and render us objects of pity unto all. 

I see, then, that pride springs from blindness and 
inconsideration ; but how surprising is this, that one 
who has his eyes open to the things of God should 
be guilty herein ! Now, as spiritual things are more 
noble and more excellent than carnal-things, so spiri- 
tual pride is more abominable than carnal : for the 
saint, of all men, should be most humble. Whence, 
then, these risings of heart ? whence this self-conceit, 
and high opinion of myself? Is God good, and must 
I turn the grace of God into wantonness ? Surely, if 
ever I have cause to fear the sincerity of my graces, 
it is when I grow proud of them. Grace is an hum- 
ble thing ; it thinks meanly of all but Christ ; it keeps 
an eye ever open to its own failings j and though be- 
lievingly bold, yet being conscious of its imperfec- 
tion, it wears a blush before the throne. 

The reasons of my mental elevation are merely 
imaginary, but I have a thousand real causes of the 
profoundest humility. Where are all my carnal 
thoughts, even in my solemn devotion ? Where are 
all my ambitious lustings, my unbelieving circurn- 
acribings of the power of God ? my misimprovement 
of judgments and of mercies ? my attachment to the 
things of time, and stupidity about the things of eter- 
nity ? my ignorance of God, and of things spiritual, 
heavenly, and divine ? Yea, besides all these, the dai- 
ly iniquity of my heels may always keep me humble. 

Kride may advance for its ill supported plea, that 



MISCELL ANEOVS MBDITATIOtf 5. 1 8 1 

one is useful in his day and generation, for the sup- 
port of religion, and suppression of vice, and that he 
has exerted his brightest talents that way, perhaps 
suffered persecution, or been in danger of martyrdom. 
But say, my soul, if a king shall send a nobleman as 
his ambassador abroad maintaining him according to 
his dignity, will he think himself obliged to that hono- 
rary servant ? No ; he will rather think him obliged 
to give his sovereign an account of the trust commit- 
ted to him, and answerable at his peril if any thing is 
done against the honour of his crown. How, then, 
are the saints of God ignorant, that to whom God is 
pleased to give much, of them he will require the 
more ? Surely the saint in a private capacity, who 
knows only Christ and him crucified, and is neither 
qualified for, nor called to public work, but lives a 
life of faith upon the unseen Son of God, is in a more 
happy state than many apprehend. For when the 
King Eternal comes from a far country, he will call 
for, and count with those to whom he intrusted ta- 
lents ; and though he is pleased with four from him 
who got but two, yet he will expect ten from him, who 
received five. This may be a balancing thought to 
the learned rabbies, with their shining talents ; to the 
minister of justice, and minister of the gospel, in 
their secular and spiritual trusts, that they have their 
account to make, both as private Christians and as 
public persons. But, my soul, thy very situation (for 
thou art yet on enchanted ground) may keep thee 
humble. Though thou wert spotless as a seraph, yet 
that flood of iniquity that swells around thee may keep 
thee humble ; but though thou wert in the midst of a 
paradise of innocence, yet there is such a world of 
wickedness within thee, as might banish every spark 
of pride for ever. And when these considerations 
fail, and pride again begins to appear, the very ap- 
16 



182 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

pearance may plunge thee into the profoundest abyss 
of humility and self-loathing, out of which thou 
shouldst never rise, till raised to the perfection of the 
sons of God. 



MEDITATION LXXIV. 

HARMONY IN GOD'S PROCEDURE WITH THE CHURCH BOTH OF THE 
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. 

Leghorn, March 31, 1759. 

Wonderful art thou, O Lord ! and stupendous 
are thy ways. The harmony that prevails, and the 
glory that shines in all thy government, fill every pi- 
ous soul with adoration and wonder. All thy sub- 
jects approve of whatever the' King does, and are 
surprised and pleased at once. Let me cast together 
the first and last ages of the world, and compare his 
conduct with the church under the law, and under the 
gospel, and I shall find a beautiful correspondence and 
agreement in all his ways. 

When God would have a church to himself, he calls 
Abraham, and blesses him : so our Saviour, when he 
founded the New Testament church, called whom he 
chose, and blessed them with spiritual gifts and heav- 
enly graces. When God made promise to Abraham, 
that Messiah should spring from his posterity, circum- 
cision was instituted ; and when the promised seed 
came into the world, baptism was brought into its 
place. At one great occurrence, when Israel was de- 
livered from tyranical Egypt, the passover was appoint- 
ed : and at another greater event, when Jesus, to de- 
liver the true Israel from the bondage of sin, was to 
suffer, the supper was instituted. The Old Testament 
church had an Egypt to leave, a land of bitter bondage : 
and we have the kingdom of darkness to come out of, 
a land of cruel slavery. — The church of old was com- 
posed of twelve tribes : the Christian church is found- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 183 

ed on the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The one, 
though few at their beginning, grew into a great na- 
tion : the other, though small at their commencement, 
spread through many nations. By miracles that was 
delivered, fed, and defended : by miracles the doc- 
trines of this were disseminated and confirmed. That 
had a sea to pass through at its first escape : this had 
a flood of afflictions at its first appearance. The for- 
mer was guided by the cloud and pillar of his presence : 
the latter by his word and Spirit. The one had to go 
through a vast and howling desert; the other, to 
struggle through a world of sin, vanity, and vexation. 
That tabernacled in the wilderness forty years, and 
lacked nothing : this has a place given her in the wil- 
derness, where she is fed for many days. Manna was 
the bodily or natural food of the first : the true manna 
is the spiritual food of the last. A refreshful river out 
of the rock followed them all the way : and to us, 
" that rock is Christ." To them the typical serpent 
was suspended on a pole, that whosoever was bitten 
by the fiery serpents might look and live : and we 
have the glorious anti-type lifted up on the loftier pole 
of the gospel, that we may behold and be healed of 
all the wounds given by Satan, the old serpent. — They 
had their feasts and solemnities : we have ours. The 
Jews, after all their toils and pilgrimages, subdued the 
heathen nations : the first founders of Christianity, af- 
ter all their trials and persecutions, subdued Paganism 
itself, and made idolatrous nations submit to the truths 
of the gospel. When the Jews were settled, and in 
a flourishing condition. Jeshurun waxed fat, and kick- 
ed, yea, did worse than the heathen that were around 
them : so, after the Christian church enjoyed rest and 
tranquility, they turned to do worse than the uncon- 
verted nations around them. When Israel fell from 
the worship of the true God into idolatry, Babylon 



184 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

was the scourge that brought the church into captivi- 
ty and bondage : so, when idolatry sprang up in the 
church of Christ, an apostatizing Rome, bloody Baby- 
lon, that great city, which reigneth over the kings of 
the earth, became the cruel oppressor of the church 
of the faithful. And, as the destruction of ancient 
Babylon preceded the church's delivery : so the de- 
struction of spiritual or mystical Babylon (for the time 
approaches when she shall be cast as a mill-stone into 
the sea, to arise no more) shall precede and promote 
the church's enlargement. As the Jewish deliverance 
was fey a temporal Messiah, a Cyrus : so the Chris* 
tian liberation is by the heavenly Messiah, the saviour 
of the world, who shall destroy the man of sin by the 
breath of his mouth, and by the brightness of his com- 
ing. As our Saviour's first coming was the fulfilment 
of the prophecies, and finished the Old-Testament 
dispensation : so the second coming of our incarnate 
God shall be the fulfilment of the promises, and finish 
the New-Testament dispensation. His first coming 
was as a Saviour, to take away the sin of the world : 
but his second appearance shall be as a judge, to con- 
demn the sinners, acquit the saints, and carry them to 
heaven. Hasten, then, this day of glory, when all 
things shall be accomplished, to the entire satisfaction 
of every saint, and to the bright display of every di- 
vine, every adorable perfection. 



MEDITATION LXXXV. 

A PLEASANT CONSIDERATION". 

Leghorn April I, 1759. 

There is one consideration that may make me en- 
dure affliction with fortitude, and triumph in my trou- 
ble, which is, That what I endure to-day, I shall not 
feel to-morrow. Every sip of affliction lessons the 
bitter cup that is put into my hand, which contains its 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 185 

given quantity, and is not always kept full ; so the more 
frequent, or the more largely, I drink at a time, the 
less remains for me ; and some time or other I must 
drink it all, and gkit down the last drop in the expi- 
ring pang. I cannot weep over a parent dying twice, 
nor can I twice attend the funeral of a friend. lean- 
not have the shocking sight of my dearest relative 
struggling in the jaws of death a second time. Had 
I a numerous offspring, I might bury all the tender lit- 
tle ones once, but could not dissolve at their funeral 
again and again. The afflictions I feel to-day, I shall 
feel again no more for ever ; that is, in their first onset, 
though they may follow up and repeat their stroke for 
many days. 

Though the shower be heavy on me, yet, to my 
comfort, the clouds shall not return after the rain, to 
fall in other showers. And though clouds and dark- 
ness, tempest and storm, should fill my sky all the days 
of my life, yet after death my heaven shall brighten, 
and be obscured no more. My troubles diminish in 
the enduring, but my consolations are of another na- 
ture; they are a flowing spring, at which I may daily 
drink, and still they overflow. Affliction is like the 
foam of a river, that perishes as we pass over, and can 
be found no more ; but the divine comforts are like 
Israel's stream in the wilderness that followed them all 
the way. The present loss of dearest relatives which 
brings most pungent sorrow, would cease, were I as- 
sured that in a few years they were to rise again. 
Then, should it not cease, when I reflect on the cer- 
tainty of enjoying my relations, where spiritual friend- 
ship is screwed up to sublime heights, never known 
below, and that to endure for ever ? I look a little fur- 
ther, and my afflictions are no more ; 1 look a little 
further, and infinite consolations are mine for ever- 
more. Why> then, should I suffer much from any 
16* 



1 86 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

grief that passes, never to return, when pure joy, to 
comfort me, with mighty strides approaches never to 
remove or pass away ? 



MEDITATION LXXXVI. 

CRUCIFIXION. 

Leghorn^ April 8, 1759. 
There is a reciprocal crucifixion which I should 
desire and seek after ; first, that the world may be 
crucified unto me ; and secondly, that I may be cru- 
cified unto the world. This is a noble figure repre- 
senting the christian's full and free disentanglement 
from the world. To break the connexion, and cut 
assunder the bands between two persons of the closest 
friendship, sameness of sentiment, and oneness of in- 
terest, it is not enough that one party be crucified, for 
the other may still have affections and feelings' after 
the mangledr though once amiable companion ; but 
when both are crucified, all bonds are broken, and all 
ties are eternally dissolved. When one becomes nox- 
ious to society, an enemy to the commonwealth, and 
a rebel against just authority, then he merits such an 
ignominious death as crucifixion. — Well, then, the 
world is an enemy to the life divine, noxious to the 
welfare of my soul, and a rebel against the autho- 
rity of heaven. Therefore I should earnestly seek 
to have it crucified to my affections, and my affec- 
tions to it. When a person is crucified, his friends 
need expeet no favour from him, and his foes need 
fear no harm at his hand. So, if the world bo 
crucified to me, I shall neither court its smiles, nor 
fear its frowns. I shall expect nothing, and I shall 
never be disappointed ; I shall dread nothing, and 
I shall never be in danger. He that would win hea- 
ven must crucify the world ; for while the world 
lives in the affections, it will always roll itself 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 187 

between the soul and heaven. Now, what a mighty 
mountain, what a steep ascent is this, the sad experi- 
ence of unhappy thousands can tell, who never could 
climb over the terrestrial globe to the heavenly land ; 
but, intoxicated with pleasures, choked with cares, 
and crushed with the ponderous mass, sink down to 
endless wo ! Again, as a crucified man, whose extremi- 
ties are bored through, and whose body is besmeared 
with blood, and his countenance disfigured in death, 
is a very moving spectacle to every feeling beholder ; 
so the woild, crucified to the believing soul, will ap- 
pear vain and empty, vile and abominable, and loath- 
some for the fond embraces of mental affection. And 
as a dead body soon becomes stinking carrion, so a 
crucified world, in the nostrils of a renewed soul, can 
send nothing up but an ill savour. All its perishing 
pleasures, which are rich perfumes to carnal minds, 
will be but like open graves to gracious souls. Final- 
ly I shall be an immense gainer by this double cruci- 
fixion ; for as no man will hoard up human skulls, 
bones, and putrefying carcasses, for a treasure ; so 
the world, thus crucified, and all its vanities, shall be 
the object of my deepest contempt and loathing ; 
while things spiritual, heavenly, and divine, shall 
share my whole esteem, and enrich my soul for eter- 
nity itself. 

MEDITATION LXXXVIL 

ALL GOD'S WAYS EGIUAL. 

Under sail, April 19, 1759. 
This is a truth at all times, and in all circumstan- 
ces, to be acknowledged, that all God's ways are 
equal. Yea, they must be so, seeing he is infinite in 
his wisdom, excellent in counsel, free in his decrees, 
independent in his procedure, and holy in all his 
spores. When Adam was in a state of innocency, 



188 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

all God's ways were equal in bis eyes, and, admiring 
the wisdom of the Creator, he gave names to all the 
beasts according to their nature ; hereby showing his 
own wisdom, without quarrelling at the size, shape, 
or end of their being. But no sooner did he fall from 
God, and become unequal in his way, then he com- 
plains, even in the face of God, that his ways were 
not equal. " The woman whom thou gavest to be 
with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." 

Such, alas ! is the language of my complaining at 
the dispensations of Providence. If adverse, I dare 
even go so far as to wonder how or why God deals 
so and so with me, so and so with his people. And 
because my unequal soul, that is set at war with it- 
self by sin, cannot fathom his ways, which as far trans- 
cend my conceptions as the heavens transcend the 
earth, I anon conclude them unequal. Ah ! foolish, 
vain, conceit ; Can any thing be crooked in the Eter- 
nal Mind ? Can any action deviate from the standard 
of equity in the judge of all the earth ? Can he be 
at variance with himself, who is harmony and unity ? 
Could I glance the glorious plan in the infinite mind, 
I should fall down astonished, and confess, " he hath 
done all things well." His wisdom is the same, 
though I cannot comprehend it ; his equity is the 
same, though I cannot perceive it ; and his kind de- 
sign the same, though I should not believe it. Al- 
though, in the death of my dearest relations, or 
distress of any kind, I cannot learn why heaven 
deals so and so, and why the time, the place, and cir- 
cumstances are such and such ; yet, I may be assured, 
that there is a divine equality, in the spotless proce- 
dure ; for he will never depart from the rule of recti- 
tude to afflict his people. 

But, again, what condescension is it in God, to 
make his people see on this side death the equality of 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 189 

his doings, so that they cry out, « Now I know that 
thou hast afflicted me in faithfulness : and it is good 
for me that I have been afflicted." Yet, what though 
such a prospect should be reserved to the day of rev- 
elations, when the vail shall be taken down, and all 
the ways of God shown to his people ? It is enough 
that He does it, who is equal in all his ways, plente- 
ous in justice, and superabundant in goodness. And 
though I know not the meaning of present dispensa- 
tions, yet it ought to satisfy me, that he who sends 
them is not only the Governor, among the nations, 
but the Shepherd of his people, and perfects what 
concerns his saints. 



MEDITATION LXXXVIH. 

SELF-FLATTERERS. 

Sailing near Sardinia, April 23, 1759. 

" The transgressions of the wicked saith within my 
heart, that there is no fear of God before their eyes;" 
yet they flatter themselves with false hopes, that all 
shall be well with them, " till their iniquity be found 
to be hateful" by the tremendous Judge in the deci- 
sive day. 

The most flagitious persons flatter themselves, that 
they are not in so bad a state but that they may be 
saved. True ; salvation is offered to the chief of 
sinners. But then they must be saved from sin, but 
cannot be saved in sin ; which is the error here. — 
Some conceive such a notion of mercy as would de- 
stroy the other attributes ; as if God should trample 
on his holiness, truth and justice, to exalt his mercy 
in saving a sinner, or in pardoning sin without any 
satisfaction. But this is repugnant to what he him- 
self has declared. Others flatter themselves, that as 
God is just and merciful, he could never make so ma- 
ny rational creatures to be damned. Yet they refuse 



190 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the living way God has pointed out, by which they 
must be saved. Others would fain believe that God 
would never condemn them for committing some sins, 
which, say they, are implanted in their nature ; and 
thus (O horrid blasphemy !) they make the Author of 
their being the author of sin. But God planted man 
at first wholly aright seed, though he be now turned in- 
to the degenerate plant of a strange vine. Others, 
again, there are, that through a pious education, com- 
mon convictions, knowledge of the truth, and such 
like, are convinced that their present course of life is 
sinful and dangerous, but flatter themselves that all 
shall yet be well ; for, some years hence, when they 
have wearied themselves in sinning, they will amend 
their lives, repent, and turn to God ; and in this they 
promise themselves success, since God, never refuses 
the penitent. Thus they set themselves above God, 
making themselves Lords of their own time, and pro- 
mising themselves years to come, who cannot boast 
of to-morrow ; and proprietors of divine grace, in 
thinking they can repent at the period of their own 
appointment. But such fair promises to their own 
conscience, who dare delay to an uncertain futurity 
so momentous a matter, which claims to be chief in 
our concern, and to be done with all diligence, are 
the worst performers in the world. Moreover, mourn- 
ful experience tells us, that those who reserve their 
youthful sins to be repented of in old age, often, alas 1 
too often, go on as they began, and die as they have 
lived. Again, there are some that conclude theirs an 
happy situation, because they are just between man 
and man, and upright in their dealings : they do no 
man an injury, they speak evil of no man ; but are 
friendly-hearted and frank-handed to all. But they 
know nothing of living a life of faith on the Son of 
God. Again, there are others, who, because they 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 191 

have given up the grosser follies, extravagances, and 
excesses, that were the game and the grave of their 
youth, and live a sober, regular life, conclude them- 
selves to be converts, and to bid fair for heaven, 
though they never felt one pang of the new birth, or 
knew what it was to be born again. Lastly, to name 
no more, there are some who account themselves 
jsaints indeed, and would not question their state for 
"any man, because they have been sober all their life 
long, have hated the grosser acts of wickedness, com- 
mend religion, and religious persons, and have a form 
of godliness ; but they have never seen the necessity 
of being divorced from the law, and denied to their 
best actions, as well as their worst deeds, with res- 
pect to salvation; and however fair their character 
may be, they know nothing of union to, and commu- 
nion with the Son of God. Therefore they are dead 
while they live, dead before God, though alive in their 
own opinion, and in the opinion of the world. Now, 
how fatal such self-flattery is, is evident ; yet, how 
full is the christian woild thereof 1 may their eyes be 
opened to see their danger, and their hearts persuad- 
ed to embrace the Saviour ! 



MEDITATION LXXXIX. 

THE HEAVENLY VISION ASSIMILATING. 

April 29, 1759. 
There are a thousand unfathomable depths in di- 
vine love. Who can open the everlasting magazines, 
or look into these unseen glories ? And this is not 
least to be admired, that even the worms and pots- 
herds of the earth should be admitted into the visions 
of God. Here we see something of him, though 
darkly, his back-part being only presented to view, 
and even of that we have an imperfect glance ; but 
in the world to come, the saints shall see him as he 



192 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

is, and thereby be happy above their highest hope, 
beyond their most extensive faith. Now, how aston- 
ishing that the saints should be admitted into the per- 
fect visions of God ? and how entrancing that this 
vision should so assimilate them to him, that the soul, 
accustomed to unremitting longings below for this 
crowning bliss, shall remain eternally satisfied with 
her divine conformity to God ! How, then, of con- 
sequence, must the saints shine in glory, since their 
conformity is not to an imperfect vision, but first they 
see him as he is (and what that is, who can tell ?) and 
then, according to this clear sight, is their assimila- 
tion to him. If here there be such an excellence in 
the saints, from the imperfect views of the glory of 
God in the face of Jesus ; what must it be where the 
darkness is past, and the true light shineth ? Surely 
it may be said of the saints in that state, " Ye are 
gods, and all sons of the highest." Nor need we 
wonder that John had almost worshipped a fellow- 
saint, who shone with so much amazing glory. This 
assimilation is in part begun below ; for " we all, with 
unveiled face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the 
Lord, are changed, or transformed, into the same im- 
age, from glory to glory." And it is perfected above, 
when the whole soul is assimilated, as far as finite can 
receive of communicable perfection, to him who is 
the Father of spirits. If a broken spirit be a burden 
here that cannot be borne, surely the harmony that 
shall arise from a sense that all the powers of the soul 
have put on the divine likeness, shall be ineffably 
sweet. Thus the whole family of heaven shall have 
one appearance, and prove themselves to be of one 
Father^ and, being like their elder Brother, shall look 
like the children of a King. 

Briefly, then, this blessed similitude to God con- 
sists, 1. In being holy, as he is holy. 2. In knowing 
all things to their satisfaction ; as God in his infinite 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 193 

knowledge rests satisfied. 3. In willing, through the 
perfection of holiness, nothing but what is good ; as 
God, through the perfection of his divine nature, can 
will nothing but what is holy. 4. In being happy in 
their condition, and ravished with their felicity in God ; 
as God is supremely and eternally happy in himself. 
5. In never being fatigued ; they rest not day nor 
night, and yet are never weary ; as the Creator of the 
ends of the earth neither fainteth nor is weary. 6. In 
being made kings and priests to God and to the 
Lamb, and reigning with him for ever ; as God sits 
King for ever, and of his government there is no end. 
And, lastly, In being fixed in their supreme felicity, 
above the fear of change, or end ; as God is from 
everlasting to everlasting God. How complete must 
their happiness be, who possess God in all his pleni- 
tude, in all his perfections, and are like him in his 
communicable glory ! 

There is some difference now betwixt the saint and 
sinner, though both are in houses of clay ; but how 
vast will it be then, when the one shall be all deformi- 
ty and darkness, the other all comeliness and glory ! 
For to these he shall be revealed in the nearest and 
most naked views, in the face of Jesus ; but hid from 
those in the darkest and obscurest manner for ever, 
when " they shall be banished from the presence of 
the Lord, and from the glory of his power for ever." 
This is the excellency of religion above reason, that 
it reveals God as he is ! this is the happiness of the 
saints above sinners, that they see something of God 
now, and are somewhat like him, though imperfect- 
ly; and this is the privilege of all saints, that, like Mo- 
ses, they may seek after, and receive repeated views of 
his glory. But the crowning vision is reserved for 
eternity, when « we shall be like him, for we shall see 
him as he is." 

17 



194 SOIITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 



MEDITATION XC. 

STILL DESCRIPTIONS FALL SHORT OF GLORY. 

April 30, 1759. 

Oh! what must that happiness be that is leid up on 
high ! that glory that is reserved to be revealed f 
When God sets forth the bliss above, it is by meta- 
phors, figures, and shadows, adapted to our shallow 
conceptions. Thus, as God himself is said to have 
hands, to point out his power, eyes, to show his om- 
nisciency, and such like condescensions ; so the glory 
above is set out to us by the most excellent things that 
come within our ken, as kingdoms, crowns, sceptres, 
gold, precious stones, pearls, anthems, life, health, lib- 
erty, light, endless day, perpetual summer, and eternal 
autumn. But how dull are golden harps to the rap- 
ture of celestial song ! How dim are streets of gold 
to the paved walks of glory ! what are the reflections 
of clearest crystal, to the bright effulgence of uncloud- 
ed glories ! what the languid sparklings of all the pre- 
cious gems, to the noon-day blaze of uncreated per- 
fections! what are the apples of paradise, to that spir- 
itual repast on divinity itself, which the saints enjoy 
above ! what is a tree planted on either side a stream, 
to him who over-shadows all his chosen ones ! or 
numerable blessings of divine love! what is a river, 
tw r elve kinds of fruits yielded every month, to the in- 
to him who overflows eternity, fills immensity, and i& 
the plenitude of every ransomed soul! in one word, 
what are all things to God! Can the creature set 
forth the enjoyment of the Fountain of being? 

O happy period ! when I shall plunge into the infin- 
ity of thine excellencies, and, to mine eternal gain, 
be lost in the immensity of thy glory ! and enjoy God 
in a manner that the noblest metaphors can never set 
forth, that the most exalted description never can ex- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 195 

liibit, nor the most enlarged conception conceive. In 
view of this glory^, unintelligibly great, let me prepare, 
and in hopes of it rest, till its desirable revelation. 



MEDITATION XCL 

SAINTS HONOURABLE. 

Under sail, May 1, 3759. 

Among the failings with which the saints are charge- 
able, surely this is one : Too mean apprehensions of 
their own greatness, though in their greatness the love 
of God is exalted. The poor man who has many 
troubles every day to combat with, and is subjected 
perhaps to daily indigence, would think it presump- 
tion in him to believe that there were orders given in 
the court of heaven concerning him by name, that 
necessary supply should be sure to him ; and that no 
less than angels, who attend the throne, were com- 
missioned to secure his safety ! But since God's eter- 
nal Son condescended to come to minister to the sons 
of men, "and give his life a ransom for many," it well 
becomes the brightest of the angelic hosts to minister 
unto the heirs of salvation. 

Truly, O saint ! a serious consideration of thine 
high estate (for " since thou wast precious in his sight, 
thou Inst been honourable,") ought not to puffup thy 
mind with pride, but to fill thine heart with holy ad- 
miration and wonder, and to swell thy soul with ecsta- 
cy and love! The men of the world may scorn thy 
mean cottage, but had they but one glance of the an- 
gelic guards that do duty there, they would conclude 
it to be the palace of a king, or the gate of heaven. 
Elisha's servant was of the same mind with the world; 
he thought his master was an helpless, though a holy 
man : <• Alas ! my master, how shall we do ? we are 
undone, for we have no power to withstand the Syrian 
army." But, anon, he sees the mountain shining 



136 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

around them with celestial guards, and covered with 
the flaming* chariots of the King of glory. Now, O 
saint! Elisha's God is thy God, and the standing for- 
ces of eternity are still the same, being truly the im- 
mortal legion ; yea, their employment is also the same, 
till all the saints are brought safe to glory. 

When on a journey thou puttest up at an inn, thou 
mayst be obliged to take the worst room, while others 
who have a grand retinue, and numerous attendants, 
have the best lodgings ; but what thinkest thou of this, 
that not only angels should be thy guards, but the Lord 
God of gods ! the Lord God of gods, should himself 
be thy watchman ? How secure, then, seeing thine 
omnipotent Guardian neither slumbers nor sleeps ! If, 
under thy earthly sovereign, thou art called to the 
martial plain, thou mayst pitch thy tent in the open 
field, while the general of the army fixes his splendid 
pavillion in the centre, yet only men encamp around 
him ; but wherever thou pitchest, 4 < the angel of the 
Lord encampeth round about thee." What, then, 
should thy conduct be, O thou that art highly favour- 
ed of the Lord ! Thou shouldst study holiness in the 
highest degree, in gratitude to him who deals so with 
thee ; and humility, that thou mayst never forget thy- 
self, and so cease to wonder at the heavenly conde- 
scension ! Is it thy part, O saint! when so honoured, 
so defended by the King, to hold disloyal conferences 
with his implacable enemies, self, sin, satan, against 
whom the " Lord hath sworn that he will have war for 
ever ?" When he, in redeeming grace, has raised 
thee up to heaven, wilt thou through sin, debase thy- 
self to hell ? Now, O saint ! thou art no less happy, 
and thy condition no less grand than this. Live, then, 
above the world, and its vanities, with a greatness of 
soul that evidences thy divine descent, till the day 
come, in which thou shalt be exalted to that glory, of 
which thou art now an expectant, candidate, and heir* 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS 197 

MEDITATION XCII. 

MERCIES THOUSH APPARENTLY DELAYED, COME AT THE 
APPOINTED TIME. 

Alicant Bay, May % 1759. 
How is it that thoughts rise in my mind about the 
promise proving abortive ? or how can I conclude that 
the delays of Providence are ill-timed and unkind ? 
Yet God, notwithstanding all the risings of unbelief in 
my breast, is punctual to a day. Hence says Moses, 
that God brought forth the children of Israel in the 
" selfsame day'"'' that he had promised, and that their 
sojourning in the, land of Egypt was completely expi- 
red. But what a groaning time did the poor Israel- 
ites undergo! Their service was with rigour, their * 
•bondage was bitter, their oppression insupportable, 
and the cruelty of their foes had arrived at that infernal 
pitch, as to plunge their helpless males into the river! 
At length, in this melancholy time, Moses was born; 
but this sad season was spun out till he was forty 
years old, before he hinted to his brethren that he it 
was that should deliver them. Yet this faint dawn of 
relief immediately disappears ; Moses is no more to 
be seen or heard of in all the land of Egypt and the 
night of sore affliction is protracted for another forty 
years. Now, what cogitations of heart, may I sup- 
pose, struggled all this time in the breasts of Jacob's 
sons, in the breast of Moses ! Well he knew in what 
deplorable circumstances he had left his brethren, nor 
knew he how their bondage might be increased in his 
absence ; yet, in the account of their glorious delive- 
rance, he confesses that God was a God of truth, and 
that, however he seemed to delay, still his suffering 
people were brought forth from the iron furnace at the 
appointed time, and not a day later than the promise. 
Have I, then, any reason to complain of days and 
months of delay ? No ; God has appointed a set 
17* 



198 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

time, and at the set time will remember me ; and it 
well becomes me, though the time should seem long 
in my view, to wait with patience for it. God has in 
all ages so dealt with his people for the exercises of 
their graces : and these trials, like the instruments of 
the husbandman, breaking up the fallow ground of 
their heart, make them bring forth a plenteous crop of 
precious fruits, whence accrues an increase of glory 
to God, and unspeakable joy to their own souls, 
through the ages of eternity! and is not this more 
than all that can rise from the present and speedy 
performance of the promised blessing ? 

Then sit still, my soul, and calmly wait the end, 
wondering more that justly-deserved judgments are 
not immediately executed against thee, than that ex- 
pected blessings are for a while withheld. 



MEDITATION XCIII. 

THE WORLD DEEP ROOTED IN THE AFFECTIONS. 

Saling near Malaga, May 9, 1 759. 

How often, when reading the history of the chil- 
dren of Israel going up out of Egypt, have I condem- 
ned their longing for the flesh-pots, and other things 
wherewith they had been entertained in the land of 
their bondage, when they had Canaan before them ! 
But now I may turn from them, and leave my com- 
plaint upon myself, since guilty of the same sin. If 
my hopes are fixed in eternity, why take I pleasure in 
the things of time ! Will I by profession seek after 
immortality, yet practically pursue dying vanities ? O ! 
when shall the world cease to allure me, cease to find 
reception in my soul ? When shall the beautiful field, 
while I behold the better country, become as a barren 
wilderness to me ; and the fine flower-garden, as the 
top of a rock that is neither plowed nor sown ? When 
shall honour be to me as disagreeable as the din and 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 199 

confusion of great cities, and fame as the tumultuous 
noise of an enraged mob, when the most part know 
not wherefore they are come together? When shall 
my well-informed judgment esteem riches no more 
than wild brier, whose single flower a-top, is attended 
with innumerable prickles round about below ? When 
shall I possess unenvied solitude, and retire into mine 
own breast, counting it an happiness neither much to 
know, or to be known, in a vain, a transitory world, 
Can an old man, who is half blind, and half deaf, be 
delighted with the harmony of sounds, the neatness 
and richness of attire, and the frolicksome amuse- 
ments of youth ? and should not the growth of grace 
(how sad my condition !) give a greater disrelish to the 
pleasures of the world, than the decays of nature ? 
Henceforth may I use the world as not abusing either 
it or myself! How would it look in one sent express 
from his prince, on matters of the last importance, to 
sit down by the first pleasant grove he came to, and 
forget his despatch, till the night had wrapt him up in 
darkness, when he could not pursue his journey ? So 
I am on the express of salvation, by order of the 
Prince of the kings of the earth, who has commanded 
me to run while I have the light, and work while I 
have the day; not to quit my pilgrim-staff, ungird my 
loins, or forego my travelling posture, till got within 
the vail; nor to let my affections sit down on any 
thing below, lest the shadows of the everlasting eve- 
ning be stretched out, and thickest darkness cover 
me ! As men look on children, in all their gay ima- 
ginations and sportive jolity, with pity and disdain, so 
should I look on the grandeur of the world, which is 
more so, in comparison of diviner glories of sublimer 
bliss. 

But, when Israel came near the promised land, the 
pleasant inheritance, there was not one word of Egypt, 



200 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

and all its dishes; so, as a sign that I am drawing 
near the better country to inherit it for eternity, let 
the things of this world not once be named by me, as 
becomes an expectant of the vast reserve of love. O 
happy day 1 when shall all be tasteless and insipid but 
Christ ; when this struggle between my carnal desires 
and renewed affections, shall issue in complete vie* 
tory over the creature and its enchanting charms. 



MEDITATION XCIV. 

TRUE RICHES. 

Gibraltar Mole, May 20, 1759. 

What, saint ! dost thou complain of poverty ?-— 
Dost thou cry out of want ? If thou art poor in any 
thing, it is in thy views and apprehensions of thine in- 
heritance, they are so shallow and confined. But ast 
God said to Abraham of his seed, so says he of thy 
possessions, " See if thou canst count them all up." 
Knowest thou the measure of thine inheritance, or 
the breadth and boundary of thy kingdom ? Survey 
the midnight sky, and see the sparkling orbs above, 
these are all thine own ; and if they can advantage 
thy soul, and bring about thy good, not one of thern 
shall be withheld from thee, seeing thou art the King's 
son. Now, how r rich art thou, if as philosophers say, t 
every twinkling star be a sun to dependant orbs that 
form their system? Canst thou, then, be cast down 
for a foot-breadth of this world below ? 

« But, Oh I" repliest thou, "you would no* talk at 
such a rate, did you know my troubles. Heaven is 
conscious that I am daily groaning under poverty and 
affliction, and that my thoughts are divided and dis- 
tracted, while fear of miseries at one time assails me, 
and at another time hope In his mercy composes my 
mind : while now I would fain have confidence in the 
promise, and then am all anxiety about the provi- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS, 201 

dence. Now, if it were as thou sayest, why is all 
this befallen me? why is it thus with me ?" 

What, saint! thickest thou that the promises are il- 
lusive words, or that God speaks ironically to his peo- 
ple ? No, but with the sincerity of a true friend, with 
the affection of a tender father. It fares no other- 
wise with thee in all thy complaints, than with a young 
heir to a great estate, who is fed sparingly, and put 
under severer discipline than others who have not 
such great expectations. He is not able to compre- 
hend the meaning of such hard usage, till he grows 
up, and then he finds himself possessed of a regular 
appetite, a fine state of health, and a vigorous consti- 
tution, as well as of an extensive inheritance, which 
gluttony and licentiousness in younger years might 
have destroyed. So thou, O saint! when grown up 
to the measure of a perfect man in Christ Jesus (for 
while in this world thou art but of yesterday, and 
knovvest nothing) thou shalt see the excellent use of 
afflictions, and the noble design of keeping thee at a 
poor table of uncreated comforts, lest the satisfying 
of thy carnal appetite had sent leanness into thy soul. 
— Then all his ways shall be made plain, which must 
remain unriddled till the mystery of providence be 
opened up in the light of glory. All things, then, are 
yours; and the earth and the fulness thereof, sun, 
moon, and starry heavens, are but the least part of thy 
possession, who has a right to the bright and morning 
star of eternity, to the Creator of the ends of the 
earth, to God Almighty, as thy shield and exceeding 
great reward. 

How like the Possessor of heaven and earth art 
thou! for as this is his foot-stool, so the woman (the 
chur ch in all her members) that is clothed with the 
sun, has the moon (the earth) under her feet! Why, 
then, anxious about a possession on that which is not 



202 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

only God's footstool, but should be thine ? Wouldst 
thou appear in all thy state while in the desert, the 
land of thy pilgrimage ; since the better country, 
where the King of glory has his royal pavillion and 
residence, lies before thee to be inherited ? Thine 
eyes may climb to the stars, and say, These are mine. 
— But why terminate there ? Faith may rise higher, 
and claim him who counts their numbers, and gives 
them all their names. O how at once thy possessions 
grow too vast to be described, and extend infinitely 
on every hand ! God, in all his glorious perfections, 
reconciled in his Son, who is appointed heir of all 
things, is yours, and you are his! Why, then, be 
disquieted about dust and ashes, wind and vanity, 
when the unseen realities of eternity are before you, 
and shall give the purest joy, and most refined plea- 
sure in the eternal possessions ? 



MEDITATION XCV. 

THE CASTING OF THE SCALES OR BALANCES. 

Gibraltar Mole, May 26, 1759. 

There is a real difference between the righteous 
and the wicked, for the one is the heir of bliss, the 
other the child of the curse. But O how is the ap- 
pearance misrepresented and inverted, in the eye of 
carnal men! The wicked are accounted happy, and 
the saints the most miserable of all men. But let us 
fight the worldlings with their own weapons. The 
wicked, as the world continues not, (this they must all 
confess) are travelling through the evening twilight of 
declining grandeur to the darkness of eternal night. 
But the saints, as the world to come, for which they 
wait and hope, is permanent, are marching through 
the growing beams of morning light to the perpetual 
noon of glory. Truly, now-a-days, the wicked seem 
to have the right hand of the just, and their rod lies 
heavy on the back of the righteous ; but they shall be 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 203 

found on the left hand in the day when distinctions 
most avail, and over them shall the upright have do- 
minion in the morning. The one may go mourning, 
and pour out their complaint before God, while the 
others spend their days in mirth, and rejoice at the 
sound of the organ : but the sorrow of the one shall 
be turned into everlasting joy, while the songs of the 
other shall issue in eternal howlings. 

Great men weigh valuable in the balance of the 
world, while the saints are accounted as the orTscour- 
ing of all things ; nevertheless, in the balance of the 
sanctuary, when both are weighed, the sinner shall be 
found wanting, but l< the precious sons of Zion shall 
be comparable to fine gold." 

Now, dare I calculate with the world, and call them 
happy whom the world counts happy ? Or, more da- 
ring still, dare I choose to be where happiness, sacred 
happiness, is not to be found ? However beautiful the 
evening be, it is soon black night ; but however clou- 
dy the morning be, it is soon broad day. So it was 
with Dives, who, dragged from his luxurious table, and 
flowing cups, is plunged into the lake, lifts up his eyes 
amidst devouring flames, parched, and petitioning for 
one drop of water to cool his scorched tongue ; while 
Lazarus, full of sores, and without attendance at the 
inhospitable gate, except the kindly dogs, is wafted 
by an heavenly band from all his sorrows, to the bos- 
om of the friend of God, and set down to banquet 
jichly at the table of eternal love. Surely, then, my 
choice shall be to live in their humble, die in their 
hopeful, and rise to their happy condition. 



MEDITATION XCVI. 

AFFLICTION THE COMMON LOT OF THE SAINTS. 

Gibraltar Mole, June 3, 1759. 

When I consider the conduct of Providence to- 
wards all his saints, I should rather be astonished 



204 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

that I am permitted to pass through the world not more 
chastised, than take it amiss that I am chastened 
every morning. And surely, were I free from afflic- 
tions, whereof all are partakers, I might infer, that I 
were a bastard, not a son. Whatever be my affliction, 
the wisdom of him who sends it should make me em- 
brace and bear it without a grudge. — Though it springs 
not out of the dust, nor comes at random, yet man is 
born to trouble as the sparks fly upward : and even 
some of his favourite ones have, for wise ends, had 
the severest afflictions. The wisdom of God however, 
in afflicting his people, is folly to the world, who would 
compute love and hatred by common providences ; 
and thereby they cry out, as the ignorant Jews of old, 
to the Captain of our salvation, who himself was made 
perfect through suffering, « Let him deliver them if he 
delighteth in them." 

Again, as the infinite goodness of God shines in 
sending afflictions though the scales of mine eyes hin- 
der me from seeing all their beauty, insomuch that I 
often wonder why it fares so and so with me, and 
would fain essay to swallow up all in submission, and 
faith, believing the veracity of the promise, that all 
things shall work together for good to them that are 
the called and chosen of God : I say, as his goodness 
appears in sending them, so the divine wisdom is con- 
spicuous, in their variety. Abraham, the friend of 
God, had a trial which would have startled the whole 
world of believers. Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the 
same promise ; Moses the man, and Aaron the saint, 
of God ; Joshua and the Judges ; Job, David, and 
his royal line; Samuel and the Prophets; yea, the 
Lamb and his Apostles, had afflictions of every kind, 
in substance and estate, in relations and connexions, 
in name and character, in soul and body. — Now, sufch 
has been the conduct of God these five thousand years 
with his church and people ; and had not this govern- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 205 

ment of his house been both for his own glory and 
the good of his people, such a wise father, of whom 
the whole family in heaven and earth is named, would 
by this time have changed the manner of his proce- 
dure towards his own. But who can doubt the wis- 
dom and goodness of his conduct, who considers, 
that through his discipline many thousands are gone 
to glory, and are this day happy in their joyful harvest 
from their weeping seed-time ? 

How happy is it for me that the world often gives 
me the slip, that I may forsake the world, and look 
more out for the better country : — That men often 
prove false to me, that I may rely only on the God of 
truth : — That wants beset me on every side, that I by 
faith may set myself down at the gate of heaven, and 
in the promise, and in his fulness, find a rich supply : 
— That death now and then cuts off a relation, that 
I may more remember mine own end, the immortal 
world, and him who is the resurrection and the life. 
Affliction renders the creature tasteless, the world bar- 
ren, and dispels the intoxicating juice of carnal plea- 
sures and sensual delights. It breaks the sleep of 
security, and awakens and rouses up to duties. Even 
the saints themselves are more frequent and fervent 
in their devotions under the rod of affliction ; and 
many in trouble visit the throne of grace (dear throne ! 
to which all have access) and pour out a prayer, when 
his chastening hand is upon them, who before were 
utter strangers both to the place, and the employ- 
ment. I verily believe the whole church of the first- 
born are children of the cross, and have drunk of 
the cup of affliction, sweetened by Christ's drinking 
so largely of it. Now, would I go another way to 
heaven than the redeemed have trod in ? Would I 
walk Zion-wards out of the King's high way, out of 
the covenant ? However much in the dark I may be 
18 



206 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

about particular providences, and singular afflictions, 
till all things are cleared up above, yet, in general, 
I shall welcome whatever may loose me from this 
world, and bring me nearer God. 



MEDITATION XCVII. 

THE GLORIOUS FRCJIT OF SANXTIFIED AFFLICTION.* 

June 4, 1759. 

Two things render affliction either easy or intolera* 
ble, to wit : its kind, and continuance. If it be pon- 
derous and crushing, and withal continual ; this makes 
affliction break all the bones, and wound the very spir- 
its. But when it is light and over in a moment, which 
is the case with all the afflictions that befal the sons 
of God, I wonder why or how I can complain. But 
how astonishing beyond expression must it be, that 
this light and transitory load of affliction should work 
for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory ! 

Truly I have no reason to cry out of my troubles 
and trials, since they work more good for me than now 
I can conceive. And little do I think, while grappling 
with my afflictions and fears, what they are procuring 
for me in the highest heavens : God having so con- 
nected the seed-time of tears with the harvest of glory, 
that they who sow weeping, shall reap with everlasting 
joy. Would I grudge to carry a stone for a day or 
two, if assured that when 1 laid it dow T n, I should re- 
ceive a crown of gold ? Why, then, repine under my 
afflictions ? 

But, again, what proportion is there between the 
cross and the crown, the trial and the triumph, the af- 
fliction and the comfort, the burden of grief and the 
exceeding weight of glory ? No more than between 
the glorious Giver and glorified receiver. Here our 
afflictions own the creature as the instrument, and 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 207 

sometimes have their origin in imagination ; here they 
are light and they are transitory ; but the glory above 
is massy and weighty, is permanent and eternal, and 
is the immediate gift of God ; neither, by nor from 
the creature. 

Moreover, affliction works for our good, even here ; 
For, I. To the saints, it bears as it were, its own re- 
ward in its bosom, yielding to all that are rightly ex- 
ercised therewith the peaceable fruits of righteous- 
ness. It deadens the pleasures of sense, and gives 
the soul a relish for spiritual things ; yea, it divorces 
the soul from the creature, and draws it near to God. 
2. There is no proportion between all that can befal 
the saints in this state and that joy wherewith they 
shall be comforted in the better life. In none of the 
sons of men do all afflictions meet at one and the 
same time ; Job's case came nearest it, but at all times 
he had the exercise of his reason, and the testimony 
of a good conscience, with an invincible faith in God, 
which made him conquer even while he seemed to 
fall. The afflictions, then, of saints, are verily light; 
but their future glory is a weight filling every power, 
replenishing every faculty, overflowing the whole soul, 
and satisfying every desire. Now, in all the sons of 
God, the heirs of glory, every heavenly gift, every 
blessing of love, every degree of felicity, every beam 
of glory, centres, meets, and rests for ever. There- 
fore, there is no proportion between their sufferings 
and their consolation. Affliction is of no continu- 
ance ; the apostle elegantly expresses it by a moment, 
which of all times is the shortest. And indeed, though 
the affliction were severe and very ponderous, yet this 
lightens it much, and that it is over and gone in a mo- 
ment, no sooner felt than fled, to return no more ; but 
the exceeding weight of glory, to screw up their feli- 
city to the highest degree, is also eternal. 



208 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OH, 

But some may think, How can affliction be thought 
either light, or but for a moment, since, for their part, 
it is all they can do to support under the pressure and 
weight of their many adversities ? And as to their be- 
ing over in a moment, they rather think with Heman, 
" that they are afflicted, and ready to die from their 
youth up;" or, with Asaph, that they are "plagued 
all the day long, and chastened every morning." 

But, as to the first no afflictions befal the saints 
that can destroy their frame, though they may dissolve 
the union between soul and body. Yea, though the 
outward man be crushed, and seem to perish, yet it is 
to our advantage, for thereby the inward man is re- 
newed day by day, and grows up in strength unto 
eternal glory. And this mitigation arises from the 
divine sympathy of him, who in all their afflictions is 
afflicted. Moreover, how often does the joy that God 
pours into the soul, in the time of affliction, overbal- 
ance and downweigh all the sorrow that arises from 
them. 

And, as to the second complaint, of continuance ; as 
a moment bears no proportion to one's life, so our 
whole life bears no proportion to the eternity of glory 
which shall take place, when the hour glass of time 
has not a sand left, and cannot be turned. A moment 
stays not, and when gone, cannot be remembered ; 
for even millions put together make but a duration, 
which, when past, is only like a tale that is told. 
Now, life consists of so many moments, therefore a 
moment bears some proportion to our life, though very 
small ; but eternity is not composed of life-times or 
ages, therefore the whole life bears no proportion to 
eternity. That which endures but for a while may 
be divided into the smallest denomination, but what 
continues for ever cannot be broken down into num- 
bers. Now, is it much to pass through the shallow 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 209 

stream of affliction, that can rise but to the ankles, 
in order to plunge into the pleasures of his right hand, 
which are a great river, even waters to swim in ? Can 
any child of heaven quarrel with the kindness of God, 
who makes light and momentary affliction work for 
them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory ! 

Take courage, then, my soul, and be strong ; look 
into God's dealing with thee, for his ways can stand 
the strictest search, as through them all, even in the 
afflicting hand, fatherly kindness and eternal love 
shine forth. Now I see what I never saw before, that 
afflictions sanctified, are indulgences, and trials the 
special gifts of heaven. And I do not wonder that 
all the saints are, I say not punished, but privileged 
with them, of one kind or another ; since they here 
keep sin low, and for them accumulate eternal weights 
of glory in the other world. My not looking into the 
ways of divine wisdom, and to the extent of the pro- 
mises, has made me have very odd thoughts of afflic- 
tions ; and, concluding them to be the signs of divine 
displeasure, I have been ready to question my interest 
in God, and difficulted how to understand the word 
of truth. But now I see, that though sometimes he 
sends afflictions to chastise his saints for sin, and curb 
their carnal affections (and how kind is it thereby to 
punish sin, and prepare them for glory, and glory for 
them !) yet, that at other times he sends them to im- 
prove the soul, and exercise every grace in his saints. 
Why, then, do not I, like the great apostle of old, 
glory in tribulation, which, where grace is in exercise, 
sets all the wheels of the soul in motion ; tribulation 
working patience ; patience, experience ; and expe- 
rience, hope ; and hope, being no way ashamed to 
confess her confidence in him who has shed his love 
abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost, gives a hea- 
18* 



210 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

venly boldness. Should I then be disconsolate, be- 
cause some fogs dwell on the eye-Hd^ of everlasting 
morn? which when the sun arises, shall never more be 
seen ? Should any shades in this early twilight give 
sorrow, which are to be swallowed up in the bright- 
ness of eternal noon ? A little patience, and I am past 
every one of my troubles, and possessed of all the 
transports of perpetual day. 

Even from the vastness of my affliction and sorrow 
here, solid joy may rise ; for if affliction sometimes 
almost crush me, and I am sometimes like to fall un- 
der it, ought I not to consider, that this weight of 
glory shall far, very far, exceed the present burden ? 
Now, if the one be so much, how much more, infi- 
nitely much more, will the other be ! Yea, it shall 
be such, that were I not replenished with immortality, 
and upheld by the Most High, I should fall under the 
insupportable emanations of divine glory. But I shall 
be ail might for that happy state, where, to my sweet 
experience, I shall learn, that my light afflictions, which 
was but for a moment, wrought for me a far more ex- 
ceeding and eternal weight of glory ? 



MEDITATION XCVIII. 

GOD HIS PEOPLE'S INHERITANCE. 

Gibraltar Mole, June 6, 1759. 
The priests in Israel were allowed to approach 
nearer to God than others, and were enriched with 
many excellent privileges ; yet these favourite ones 
were to have no possession in the land. Was this 
because he loved them not like the other tribes, or 
would show himself unkind to his own ? No ; it was 
because he loved them extremely, and would give 
them no less than himself for their inheritance. Why, 
then, should it seem hard to me to have little or no- 
thing in this world, who have such a possession as the 
Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth ? 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 311 

But, replies repining Incredulity, " These priests 
were secured of the tythe, and a certain portion of 
their sacrifices; now, had I only sufficient for an ho- 
nest livelihood, I would seek no more. 5 ' Ah! wick- 
ed fears, impious doubts ! Is it not in the power of 
the same Lord to furnish two tables alike ? They fed 
at his altar, at the table of his offerings, that they 
might ever be present with him. Was not this kind- 
ness ? I feed a# the table of his providence, that I may 
daily make my prayer to him, " Give this us day our 
daily bread," and depend upon him. Is not this kind- 
ness ? Is not the one as sure as the other ? A bad 
season made a thin harvest, consequently the tythe 
was less. The provider is the same Lord, the promise 
is the same truth, and all things are still in the same 
hand. — Now, how agreeable and becoming is it, that 
such as are a peculiar people, a chosen nation, a 
royal priesthood, as all his saints are, should be depri- 
ved of these creature-enjoyments, which might de- 
prive them of nobler privileges, and more spiritual 
possessions ? It is the wisdom of those that would 
dwell near God, to be divorced from the world ; but 
since this, in the greatness of our folly, is not our 
choice, it is good in God, in his infinite wisdom, to 
confer such kindness on us, as it were against our 
will ; thus keeping us empty-handed of worldly pos- 
sessions, that we may accept of himself, the better 
inheritance. 

He that is not, though deprived of all things, not 
only pleased, but transported with this promise, " I 
am thy possession, I am thine inheritance," has no 
notion of bliss, nor could the whole world bestowed 
on that man make him happy. Oh ! consummate 
madness ! so to mistake between imaginary and real, 
shadowy and substantial, transient and eternal things! 
for this world at best (the experience of all mankind 



212 solitude sweetened; or, 

will prove it) is but a common under the curse ; but 
the divine inheritance contains fields of glory, para- 
dises of bliss, rivers of life, oceans of love, scenes of 
pleasures, heavens of ecstacy, yea, in a word, the 
plenitude of God. 



MEDITATION XCIX. 

DISTANCE DIMINISHES VIEWS. 

Gibraltar Mole, June 8, 1759. 

Things at a distance seem vastly less than what they 
really are. The lofty hill that affords a noble prospect 
at the foot, lessens so, while we recede from it, that in 
a little it seems no larger than a mole-hill, and then 
finks out of sight. 

Now, how true does this hold of spiritual and eter- 
nal things 1 What narrow notions and confined con- 
ceptions have we of the world to come! Nothing but 
the eye of faith, through the telescope of revelation, 
can glance this after-state ; but how often do mists of 
ignorance darken the eye, and clouds of unbelief ob- 
scure the glass ! Hence, the intuition is often interrup- 
ted, and the view at best falls very far short of what it 
shall be, when faith resigns to vision in the day of glo- 
ry. What a perverse opinion have we of the celestial 
paradise ! It is so distant from our sight and affec- 
tions, that we are apt to think the garden of God no 
better than a barren desert, and that there is neither 
fruit nor flower in all the heavenly Eden. We think 
nothing of the hosannas of the higher house ; nothing 
of the howlings of the lowest hell. What unconcern- 
ed views have we of the wrath to come ! of the glory 
that shall be revealed ! We dwell at such a distance 
from the throne of grace, that we are little benefited 
by the healing beams ; and the throne of glory is so 
far distant, that we behold but little of the heavenly 
splendours. Alas ! like children who peep through 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 213 

the wrong end of the prospect-glass, we conceive 
a future world to be of no great moment, and we set 
death at such a distance, that it is almost out of sight ! 
But, were our glances, rightly guided, we should be- 
lieve the one to be all our concern, and behold the 
other as always at the door. The sun that lights the 
world, by his great distance appears to us only as a 
small globe of fire : but, were he as near as the clouds, 
his vast bulk would make an august, an awful appear- 
ance ; and wherever we should roll our eye, it would 
be all one firmament of fire ! Even so, how little do 
we see of him who kindled up the sun, and lighted all 
the stars ! Though he be not far from every one of us, 
yet we see him not, who is all things in all I But 
when our eye is spiritually enlightened, we shall see 
him in all things in heaven above, and on earth be- 
neath ; in creation and providence ; in the scriptures 
of truth, and in the Son of his love ; in the heavenly 
hosts, and in the church of the first-born ; in his own 
perfections, and in every power of the soul. 

No wonder that religion appears ill-favoured and 
ugly to the men of the world, who have never taken 
a near look of her countenance and charms. But 
the nearer we live to the Saviour, the more of his 
loveliness we shall see, and be the more enamoured ; 
and the more we exercise ourselves in religion, the 
duties thereof will still be the more amiable and enga- 
ging. Now, if glory at this great distance (for what 
can be more removed from each other, than time and 
eternity, this and the other world ?) be so desirable, 
so divine, whose very foresight sheds an heaven into 
the soul, which rejoices with exceeding great joy, in 
hope of the glory of God ! what must it be, when 
possessed to the full? If the numbered drops that wa- 
ter the fields below be so refreshful, what must that 
overflowing fulness be in the regions above, that sati- 



II I SOLITUDE SWI OH, 

ates and rcplcr If the Sun of Righte- 

ousness ihinef s<> bright in the G 

through all the clouds, where he i 
uriqei what iii>; 

the firmament I meridian if eternal ? 

If this bliss, this happim -ss. this life, ii. <1 ^lo- 

ry, be account. while little known, iuu:.- 

excellent, and infinite, what must it he. wh»-ri beheld in 
another light, p in a higher capacity, and en- 

joyed to its extent ! 



MEDITATION C. 

Gibraltar Mole, Junr 1 J. i" 

Every thing that was written of old was written 
for our instruction, on whom the ends of the world 
are come. Now, Israel, when redeemed from J 
tian bondage, had both a sabbatical year appointed 
them, and the great jubilee. The first was ever, 
venth year, that not only weeks but years might 
their Sabbath ; and the last when a week of sabbati- 
cal years was completed. There was also an ambu- 
latory release (if I may so call it) respecting every in- 
dividual, when, after six years service, the man-ser- 
vant and maid-servant were set at liberty. All these, 
Israel, by divine command, observed; and though 
their deliverance from Egyptian bondage was there- 
by commemorated, yet it respected a much diviner 
and more interesting liberty. By one the land was to 
rest ; by another the labourers were enlarged ; and by 
the third the lawful heirs returned to the inheritance 
of their fathers. And may not this prefigure, that 
wherever the gospel is believed, the land that reeled 
to and fro, that was moved exceedingly, because the 
transgressions of its inhabitants were heavy upon it, 
is favoured with a kind of rest and repose, in compar- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 215 

ison of those places where the beams of the house, 
and the stones of the wall, cry out to one another ? 
Again, is not here prefigured the deliverance of indi- 
viduals from the slavery of sin, into the glorious liber- 
erty of the sons of God ? And, lastly ; is not here 
shadowed out the salvation of the whole world, from 
the ignorance, idolatry, and darkness, that had over- 
spread all nations ? 

But though the Jews had both their sabbatical 
year, and great jubilee, yet they could not be made 
perfect without the gospel dispensation. Therefore, 
all their grand epochas were only typical of 4< the ac- 
ceptable year of the Lord," when the great High 
Priest of God, with the trumpet of the everlasting gos- 
pel, proclaimed liberty to the captives, the opening of 
the prison-doors to them that were boundr not only 
through all the land of Israel, but to the ends of the 
.earth. It was not strange, that the saints who lived 
in the times of types and shadows, without us, should 
not be made perfect ; but it is strange that the saints 
who fall asleep in Christ, and so have past their week 
of trouble, and entered on the year of release on the 
sabbath of rest (so graciously has God connected 
things) though possessed of all felicity, cannot, with- 
out us, who are expectants of the same state, be made 
perfect ; as their souls wait for the resurrection of 
their bodies, that the whole man may exalt and enjoy 
him, who is very God and very man. 

Now, though the seventh year was very pleasant 
and divine, yet the jubilee in all respects excelled it 
very far, being proclaimed with loud sounding trum- 
pets to the ends of the land, inviting the captive to lib- 
erty, and the impoverished heirs to their paternal es- 
tates. But the jubilee of the glorious gospel, darkens 
description itself, being glad tidings of greatjoy to all 
people, and a general proclamation to disinherited 



216 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

spendthrifts and bankrupts to return, through their ci- 
der Brother, who has redeemed the mortgaged inher- 
itance, to the full and ample possession of spiritual 
things, of which they shall never be again despoiled. 
But the grandest and most glorious jubilee of all, is 
the jubilee of glory, when the great trumpet of eternity 
shall be blown, and the saints, who now seem out- 
casts in the land of death, shall hear and assemble, 
and enter into the full possession of the everlasting 
kingdom. In this great and last jubilee, all former 
deliverances shall be summed up, so that there shall 
be no after-mortgaging of the inheritance, as might 
take place among the Israelites, no fears of being dis- 
possessed of the land of promise, which often vex 
the Christian's breast. 

The blast of the ram's horn was heard all over Is- 
rael, the sound of the gospel all over the world ; but 
the last trumpet shall be heard in heaven, earth, and 
the grave ; so that the saints in all ages shall be equal 
sharers in this jubilee that shall end their sorrows, and 
begin their joys. Then shall they enter, not into a 
sabbatical year, that can be succeeded by time, but in- 
to a sabbatical eternity, even an eternal Sabbath of 
rest that shall never have an end. 



MEDITATION CI. 

god's knowledge. 

Under sail, June 14, 1759. 
How do we admire a man that is a little wiser than 
ourselves ! Yet the wisdom of all the human tribes, of 
all the angelic hosts, is but folly before God ! in whose 
infinite knowledge all our thoughts are laid open, all 
our conceptions are swallowed up. How divinely 
glorious is his universal knowledge, that extends to all! 
Man cannot know or retain every thought that has 
flowed from his own heart, every word that has drop- 
ped from his own mouth? much less those of his neigh- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 217 

bours. But it is not so with God; not a man on 
either side the globe but he has his eye on, not a 
thought but is brought forth in his presence, not a 
whisper but pours into his ear, not a work but is 
wrought before him; and all these things are for ever 
with him. How must the mortal judge examine 
again and again the criminal, and the witnesses, and yet 
sometimes be doubtful what sentence to pass ! But 
every thing is naked and open to him with whom we 
have to do. He presides over every purpose, guides 
every step, terminates every action, and governs eve- 
ry individual. What amazing knowledge is this, that 
not only kingdoms and provinces, in their several rev- 
olutions and changes, but persons in their particular 
occurrences and circumstances, are minutely overruled 
by him! Now, how many must the actions, the words, 
and the thoughts be, of so many millions of men, that 
are at one and the same time acting, speaking, think- 
ing ; yet all are known to him as clearly and distinctly 
as if there were but one person in the whole world. 
Nor is the far greater part or number of men that 
have departed into the world of spirits, some in plea- 
sure, some in pain, less in his knowledge. Neither do 
his knowledge and concern about the human race di- 
minish his care of the irrational tribes ; for he feeds 
the young ravens that cry from the top of the rock, 
and the lion's whelps that roar from their dens, and^ 
kindly makes grass to grow for the milder inhabitants 
of the field. Every insect, which vain man in a man- 
ner despises, is both produced and preserved by him, 
and crawls in his omniscient ken, who sees and sends 
the juice through every fibre of the vegetative family, 
gives the flowers their rich variety of colours, and 
plants their various virtues. He disposes of the in- 
fant nations that are daily born into the world, to sup- 
ply the daily loss of that equal number, whose counte- 
19 



£18 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

nance he changes, and sends them to their eternal 
home. By him the falling hairs of our heads are num- 
bered, and the dead sparrows are not forgot before 
him. The trees of every forest in every land, are 
green at his command ; every pile of grass and fra- 
grant flower, every bud and blossom, every seed and 
root, every fruit and leaf, grows and fades, flourishes 
and withers before him. Heaven and earth are open 
to him, death and destruction have no covering. The 
drops of the clouds, and the dew of heaven, he num- 
bers, and the billows of the vast ocean pass under his 
hand to be told. 

Now, how perfect must his knowledge be, when all 
things present are so perfectly known to him, and are 
still as clearly in his knowledge when past and gone, 
as when present ; as they also were in the same per- 
spicuity known to him from eternity, before ever they 
existed. Nothing is past or to come in his knowledge ; 
in an unintelligible degree of perfection, all is for ever 
present. 

From the above shallow thoughts of his infinite 
knowledge, how should I learn to admire God, to 
walk as ever in his eye, and to inscribe on all my ways, 
"Thou, God, seest me;" and to rejoice, because he 
that sees disposes of me according to his wisdom ! 

Moreover, though the heavens and their inhabi- 
tants ; the world of mankind, dead, alive, or to be 
born, in all their thoughts, words, and actions ; the an- 
imal, reptile, and insect creation, and all their motions 
and changes ; trees, plants, flowers, and whatever else 
exists, were to have an addition of other heavens, and 
other worlds, filled with intelligent inhabitants, and this 
addition continued till space were in a manner replen- 
ished, and conception overpowered by the tremen- 
dous augmentation ; yet, even when thus thoughts, 
words, actions, w r ere multiplied almost .to infinity, still 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 219 

every thing would be as clearly, plainly, and distinctly 
known to him, as if only one angel, one man, one in- 
sect, or one atom existed. Hence, we may under- 
stand how infinite his power must be, which is of the 
same extent with his knowledge, as are all his divine 
attributes, his holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. 
And, in a word, O saint! what may the joy of thy 
heart be, seeing his love to thee is of the same extent 
and duration ! 



MEDITATION OIL 

THE SABBATH. 

Mediterranean^ under sail^ June 16, 1759. 

God, that his chosen ones may never go too far 
from him has bestowed many privileges upon them, and 
among the rest hath given them his Sabbaths. Though 
the world regard them not, but pollute them with all 
their sinful pleasures, yet surely they are the refreshing 
of the serious soul ; days much to be regarded unto 
the Lord : for on this day the redemption of God's Is- 
rael from the bondage of sin, from the gates of hell, 
was declared to be completed by the triumphant re- 
surrection of the Lord of glory. The author of time 
has dignified this day with his benediction, and given 
us his' divine example to rest from all our labours on 
this holy day. 

God, in all ages of the worid, has honoured the 
Sabbath. On it he would be worshipped publicly, and 
would allow nothing to encroach on this day, which 
he claimed for himself. On the seventh day he call- 
ed up Moses into the mount, while thousands waited 
below, to instruct him about the church under the 
Old-Testament dispensation. He was also pleased to 
divide the longer extent of time into Sabbaths, that as 
every seventh day was a Sabbath, so every seventh 
year should be Sabbatical ; and, by a week of sabbat- 



220 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

ical years, were the revolutions of the glorious jubilee 
marked out, which gave gladness to the whole land. 
Likewise, under the New-Testament dispensation, on 
this sacred day, God began to reveal to his servant 
John what should befal the church to the end of the 
world. As he delights more in the gates of Zion 
than in all the dwellings of Jacob, so he displays more 
of his glory on this than on any other day. For ma- 
ny poor souls has he prepared of his own goodness on 
his own day ; and on this day he will be waited upon, 
and inquired of, by the house of Israel. This day is 
like the dew of eternity watering the barren fields of 
time, which makes God's plantation grow ; but the 
wicked, who regard no Sabbath, are like the tops of 
ragged rocks, on which, though softening showers de- 
scend, and refreshful dews drop plentifully down, yet 
are not one whit the better. 

To rightly-exercised souls, every Sabbath is a pre- 
cious type of the desirable resurrection ; for as the bo- 
dy in that rises from the dust of death to immortality 
and life, from a bed of corruption to spotless perfec- 
tion, and from a separate state (for death divides soul 
and body) to perpetual communion with God in 
Christ, being itself united in the harmony of all the 
parts and powers of the whole man, to feel distraction 
no more ; so in this day, the soul, when kindly visited 
of God, has its resurrection from the gulf of carnal 
cares, into which it sinks through the week, where 
many rot, and never see a resurrection ; and from 
spiritual death to the glorious immortality of faith, 
when, with the apostle, w T e can say, << We live, yet not 
we, but Christ lives in us ; and the life we live in the 
flesh is by the faith of the Son of God." When we 
thus enjoy communion with God, the soul may be said 
to be, not only united to the body, but to have all its 
powers and faculties in union and harmony among 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 221 

themselves ; but when we depart from him, we are de- 
vided and torn assunder with a thousand anxieties, 
and, till we return to him, never become the perfect 
man, the complete person ; we have our bodies among 
the living, our souls in the congregation of the dead ; 
an awful contratriety to a natural death ! — The Sab- 
bath is also a foretaste and earnest of the eternal Sab- 
bath of rest that is reserved for the saints above. 

This divine day should be prepared for while ap- 
proaching, sanctified when present, nor forgotten, 
when past. God, as our Creator, we should remem- 
ber, who sanctified the seventh day ; as our Redeem- 
er, who changed it from the seventh to the first day 
of the week, when he rose triumphant over death ; and 
as our Judge, who ere long, will swallow up all these 
passing refreshings in an eternal Sabbath of rest. 
This day, which God has so often honoured with his 
appearance, not only to the disciples of old, but to the 
souls of his saints in all ages, should be honoured by 
every one that bears the Christian name. This is the 
day in which Zion's courts are thronged, and in which, 
in his temple, every one talks of his glory. On this 
day the church-militant approaches nearest to the 
church-triumphant, who go up to his house with joy, 
to mingle their hosannas to his exalted name ; to 
whom, thus met in his sanctuary, he vouchsafes to 
show his stately steps of majesty, and the manifesta- 
tions of his glory, whereby his saints are strengthened 
to hold out on their way through this howling wilder- 
ness, till the everlasting Sabbath dawn, and rest eter- 
nal be their portion. 



MEDITATION CIII. 

ELIJAH AND ELISHA ; A DIALOGUE. 

Under sail, June, 17, 1759. 

When the Lord would take up his dear servant Eli- 
jah into heaven by a whirlwind, which was known, at 
19* 



222 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

least to all the sons of the prophets, the pious Elisha 
attends his venerable master, and, when desired by 
him to stay behind him, protests that he will not leave 
him ; he says not, till death part them, but conscious 
that Elijah was to ascend to bliss as Enoch had done 
before, he is determined, if he may not enter in with 
him, yet to attend him to the very gates of glory. 
When the reverend seer sees the firm resolution of his 
promising pupil, he desists, and proposes what he 
would desire of him as the last office of kindness he 
could do for him before he should be taken from him. 
The one having mentioned, the other having replied 
to the petition, they continue the divine dialogue, and 
walk on in expectation of the parting moment. And 
well may we conclude, that the subject was of the 
sublimest nature between such great souls, and at 
such a period. Might we suppose the conference 
thus ? 

Elijah. My dear Elisha, thou art now attending, 
with joy and sorrow mixed, thy aged master through 
the last stage of life. I am not, like other men expi* 
ring on a death-bed, but am to be wafted to the other 
world without the separation of soul and body, and in 
a little thou shalt see me no more. 

Elisha. O ! then, my master, my father, let our con- 
verse be about the glory of the better country into 
which thou art soon to enter. 

Elijah. It already refreshes me ; the heavenly gale 
blows into my soul, and sheds a joy divine : To-day 
shall I behold his face in glory ; a glory so exceeding 
great, that I cannot describe it, but only pant after it.-— 
Let him come and take me to himself. 

Elisha. What, pray, are those transcendant excel- 
lencies of the heavenly inheritance, that make thee so 
desire it ? 

Elijah. The bliss aboye is unbounded* pure, and 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 223 

permanent. The joys are transporting and divine. 
There God is enjoyed through his Son the Messiah, 
who is to assume our nature, sutler for our sins, take 
away our iniquities, and win eternal life for us ; whom 
all the sacrifices hold forth, all the types, washings, 
and sprinklings represent, and put us in remembrance 
of; to whom all we prophets bear witness ; and there 
our seeing him shall make us like him, and change us 
from glory to glory. — Divide, ye heavens, that I may 
enter in. 

Elisha. Does it create no uneasiness in thy breast, 
to leave the world, thy relations, and other concerns 
in it? 

Elijah. Truly the world is to me as barren a waste, 
as wild a desert, as ever the wilderness was to our 
forefathers : and as to relations, as I got and found 
them from God, so I give them back, and lose them in 
God, who is himself to me all in all. Other concerns 
in the world have I none, but the Israel, the Zion of 
God, to whose protection I commit her, who will be 
a wall of fire about her, and the glory in the midst of 
her ; to whom (though but few in my days have kept 
from bowing the knee to Baal) " a seed shall do ser- 
vice, and shall be accounted to him for a generation." 
Yea, to leave the world makes me leap for joy, for 
sinners shall no more create me sorrow, and I myself 
shall henceforth cease to sin. There I shall join the 
church of the first-born, those that are written among 
the living in Jerusalem ; and then, O how shall I sing 
to the eternal name, and never cease, and never tire ! 
My bliss shall know no bound, my rapture no restraint, 
my gladness no alloy, my day no night, my sky no 
cloud, my light no shadow, my glory no decay, my 
praises no interruption, my delight no cloy, my 
strength no weariness, my subject no diminution, my 
pleasures no period, and my eternity no end. — Eterni? 
tj ! let it just now begin. 



224 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

Elisha. O how should I rejoice to enter with thee, 
though through the dark passage of death, into that 
triumphant state ! 

Elijah. A triumphant state, indeed! where God 
dwells in the full display of his glory, and where (not 
as below) the holy of holies stands eternally open for 
all the worshippers of God, who with freedom enter in. 
Trouble is debarred the seats of tranquility, and pain 
the regions of immortality. No passion disturbs the 
soul, and perfect love casts out all fear ; and there the 
glories of Immanuel enlighten the unbounded extent 
of paradise. My dear Elisha, in a little you would 
not know your aged friend Elijah ! Now I am wrinkled 
with age and sorrow, as you, I know, have been jealous- 
for the honour of my God, who is now about to trans- 
late me to his ineffable glory ; but then a smile, known 
to none but the inhabitants of bliss, shall sit down on 
my countenance for eternity, and make mj face shine 
as an angel of God. O the hidden treasures of eter- 
nity, that glorified saints possess! the vastness of 
that glory which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, 
nor the heart of man conceived, that waits to be re- 
vealed ! I stand on the borders of the heavenly Ca- 
naan, on the confines of eternity, and glance at all 
that glory which in a little shall be mine. With trans- 
port I shall enter his temple, where every one eternally 
talks of his glory. I pant for the approaching oppor- 
tunity to prostrate myself before the highest throne, 
wholly dissolved in love. Let the hour shorten into a 
minute, the minute into a moment, and the moment 
be no more! — It is done! The heavens divide, the 
fiery chariot, quick as lightning, rolls : — My blessing 
on Israel, on Zion, on thee, my dear Elisha. — -Wel- 
come, my only Lord God : — Heaven opens rourkl 
about me, glory overflows me, and the transforming 
beams infold and bear rae hence to everlasting day. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 225 

Elisha. " My father, my father, the chariot of Is- 
rael, and the horsemen thereof!" 



MEDITATION CIV. 

THE COMPANY OF THE WICKED CORRUPTS. 

June 19, 1759. 

Under the law he was polluted who did touch any 
dead carcass, or even his bed who had a running sore, 
and was to wash his clothes, and bathe himself in wa- 
ter, and be unclean until the even. Now, if thus that 
which only represented sin defiled under the ceremoni- 
nkl law, how must sin itself, the source of all un- 
cleanness, every where defile ! Alas I I have reason to 
fear, that its pollution be more permanent than for a 
day. And as he who was every whit sound himself 
was rendered unclean, if he had but touched, though 
unawares, the bed whereon he who had the running 
issue lay ; so am I defiled, not only by sin rising in 
mine own breast, but by hearing and seeing the sin of 
others. For the corruption of my nature is so great, 
that I am ready to catch the contagion ; and if I do 
not detest, hate, and abhor it, as I should, then am I 
polluted by it. 

How pernicious then, the presence of the ungodly ! 
How are these spiritual, these greatest fools to be 
avoided, whose companions are sure to be destroyed ! 
How gloomy that company, and how disagreeable to 
enter into it, where God never comes, where his glo- 
ry never shines ! Surely grace rather needs oil to sup- 
port its flame, than water to extinguish its fire ; but 
water is all I can expect from the wicked. O ! mis- 
erable man, who hast no other to walk with thee by 
day, no other to talk with by night, none else to deal 
with abroad, or to discourse with at home i Yet, out 
of the world we must go, unless we have intercourse 
with the men of the world. Let that, however, be 



226 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

only in the common affairs of life, let it be dispatched 
with little expense of precious time, and without con- 
tracting an intimate acquaintance with them, unless in 
view of doing good to their immortal souls ; and still, 
may the saints, the excellent ones of the earth, be the 
chosen companions of my life. 

Hitherto, alas I I have been ignorant of my danger; 
for the wicked are ever casting arrows, firebrands, and 
death, in their sporting with religion, and trifling with 
a world to come, and among such madmen must I not 
be wounded ? Hence, let me every day, that the filth 
may not cleave to me, bathe myself in the righteous- 
ness of the Son of God by faith ; and purge my daily 
walk (which like the flesh under the law, is apt to re- 
ceive the infection) by sincere repentance ; that, *at 
the evening of my life, I may not lie down polluted in 
the grave, and rise in the morning of eternity with the 
putrefaction of sin. 



MEDITATION CV. 

TO ESCAPE WRATH SHOULD SILENCE UNDER ALL AFFLICTIONS. 

June 20, 1759. 
When I revolve a thought or two in my mind, I 
wonder that ever I can have a downcast countenance 
for all that can befal me in the world. To be deliver- 
ered from wrath, and destined to glory, is a compo- 
sing, a silencing thought. When I have the tooth-ach 
but for one night, and keep tossing and tumbling from 
side to side with the excruciating pain, how long the 
night appears ! But what, then, must the everlasting 
night of wrath be, that eternity of wo ? Had I a due 
sense of divine vengeance, I should think myself hap- 
py in the midst of my bitterest afflictions, if I might 
entertain the sweet hopes of being delivered from the 
wrath to come. Dare 1, then, complain of the chas- 
tisement of a Father, who have made myself obnoxious 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 227 

to the irrevocable sentence of an angry Judge ? Am 
I displeased that in providence he sits as a refiner? 
when in justice he might be a consuming fire to me ? 
Can I cry out of passing through the fire and water of 
affliction, when he might set me up for his mark, cause 
his arrows to enter into my soul, and the poison there- 
of to drink up my spirits through eternity ? Should I 
complain of trouble and pain, who deserve to be tor- 
mented day and night forever and ever ? Dare I be dis- 
consolate under the loss of relations, who might have 
been chained through all ages with the fraternity of 
devils, with whom I had joined in rebellion against 
God ? Alas ! what shall I say ? I own that I can- 
not condemn myself according to my guilt. — What 
can come upon me that I can complain of, when de- 
livered from the wrath to come ? Could I look into 
the burning lake, and see the tortures of the damned, 
how should I bless the most miserable condition of the 
world, and embrace the bitterest afflictions, if sweet- 
ened with the hopes of escaping that place of tor- 
ment ? But, if faith divinely bold, on solid grounds, 
can even refuse to quit with her claim to the heaven- 
ly inheritance, what in the world can make me miser- 
able ? To be delivered from everlasting flames, should 
afford me a lasting joy in the midst of every sorrow. 
Has Jehovah dealt so kindly with my eternal dura- 
tion, and will I, dare I for very shame, quarrel with his 
conduct of my few moments of time? The griefs that 
vex are shortlived, but the anguish he has rescued me 
from is everlasting. Under all my temporal adversi- 
ties, it should make me silent, that I shall not roar out 
under his avenging hand for ever. And it should turn 
my murmurings here into a song, that I shall not howl 
hereafter. He that escapes out of his house when 
on fire, will not much mind stumbling on a stone in 
his flight, so, if I escape the wrath to come, no mat- 



228 SOLITUDE SWEETENED j OR, 

ter though my way lie over thorns of trouble, and bri- 
ers of adversity. The soul that is delivered from the 
pit of corruption, should with pleasure walk the rough 
way of affliction towards the paradise of God. More- 
over, he that brings out of hell, and bears to heaven, 
cannot but bless by the way; he can even bless with 
crosses (flesh and blood cannot believe this) benefit 
with adversities, enrich with losses, and nourish with 
disappointment and pain. Therefore, will I, without 
reserve, rollover on him the transient moments of my 
life, to be distributed as he pleases, since he hath ren- 
dered my eternity happy, that passeth not away. 



MEDITATION CVI. 

ADOPTION. 

Under sail, June, 23, 1759. 

Every true Christian is a free-man ; and while the 
rest of the world are very slaves, the saints are kings 
and priests to God and the Lamb. They are all sons 
of the Highest, and no relation comes up to that of 
sonship ; for though the servant may remain long in 
the house, yet he " abideth not in the house for ever, 
but the son abideth for ever." Noble progenitors are 
the pride of the world, while every one boasts of his 
high birth, and great blood, as Pharoah's counsellors 
of old : " I am the son of the wise, the son of an- 
cient kings." But when, in Christ, we can say, " Now 
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear 
what we shall be, but we know, that when he shall 
appear, we shall be like him. for we shall see him as 
he is," then we may boast an heavenly descent. 

No beggar would refuse to become the adopted son 
and heir of a rich man ; but none so poor as men in 
their natural state, and none so rich as God. What 
a none-such blessing, then, for foundlings and outcasts 
to be made the sons of God, for bankrupts to be made 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 229 

the heirs of bliss ! But, what madness in them to 
contemn the heavenly privilege ! What are all our 
contendings about rank and pedigree, which must 
end in corruption, and terminate in dust ? It will 
nothing avail us, though royal blood run in our veins, 
unless the Spirit of adoption be sent forth into our 
souls, whereby, with the voice of faith, we may cry, 
Abba, Father ; and know, as a fruit of this divine pri- 
vilege, what it is to go with freedom to so near and 
compassionate a relation, who, being both wise, good, 
and tender hearted, will never give evil things to his 
children. 

But, O ! how should the adopted one, the Son of 
God walk, and behave according to the character of 
the divine family, whereof, in free grace, he is made 
a member ! The cross events of our terrestrial pil- 
grimage will often scatter a family far and wide ; but 
once a son, always a son in the celestial and invisible 
society, and always in the Father's presence. When 
adopted into this relation which aggrandizes, the hon- 
our is not only divinely glorious, but the privileges 
ineffably great. Though they come not within the 
glance of the carnal eye, yet they are not on this ac- 
count, the less real. Possessed of them, the poor 
saint, whom the world perhaps disdains to notice, 
may survey, with grateful songs, the extent of his fe- 
licity, the vastness of his bliss; and may tell with tri- 
umph, « God is my Father, Christ my Elder Brother ; 
afflictions and chastisements the signs of my Father's 
love and care ; heaven my reserved inheritance ; glo- 
ry my future portion ; life and death, things present, 
and things to come, are all mine." 

What empty sounds are all horiourary titles to this, 

c< sons of God !" How poor to be the heir-apparent 

of a crown, to the solid expectation of eternal life ! 

Surely the child of adoption is the happiest man in 

20 



230 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the world. Angels, these superior beings, are even 
ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation ; and who- 
ever injures them is said to k « touch the apple of God's 
eye :" afigurative, but most expressive speech, as there 
is no part so tender as the e\ e, and no part of the eye 
so precious as the pupil, or apple, which we defend 
from danger with the greatest care. Such an one 
has a right to all privileges of the sons of God : and 
what privileges will not such a Father, whose affec- 
tion is in-finite, and his power unbounded, bestow on 
his sons ? Whoever rises against them, offends the 
whole family of heaven ; for, w; he that despises you," 
says Christ to his disciples, l< despises me ; and he 
that despises me, despises him that sent me." And 
if the command is given to guard one chosen soul, sud- 
denly is he surrounded with the chariots of eternity, 
and horses of heaven, terribly glorious in their fiery 
majesty ! 

It is true, that now the adopted sons of God are 
like grandees dwelling incognito in a foreign land. — 
Their pedigree is not known, their grandeur is not 
seen, and therefore their station is neither admired 
nor coveted. But, there is a day coming, when all 
the sons of God shall make their glorious appearance 
in one majestic throng, in the sight of an assembled 
world, who shall be ashamed that ever they spoke so 
highly of the men that were but sprung of the earth, 
and so meanly of those that were born from heaven. 
What beauty shall shed itself round about them 1 
They shall be clothed in robes of glory, with palms 
of victory in their hands, and the charter of the cove- 
nant, containing all the privileges of adoption, spread 
before them, and an august proclamation shall be 
made, in the hearing of men, angels, and devils, 
" These are the sons of the living God." 

Now, if I be received into the royal family of hea- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 231 

ven, let me break off correspondence with the King's 
enemies, sin and vanity, and show^the great soul, the 
refined sentiment, and elevated thought, in hating 
what he forbids, however sweet to the carnal mind, 
and in choosing what he commands, however cross 
to flesh and blood. If he is my Father, let me hon- 
our and reverence him, who will never be terrible to 
me as a Judge. Let me receive correction at his 
hand, and the law at his mouth ; and let me prove 
myself to be one of the celestial family, by speaking 
the language of the better country, and having my 
affections fixed above ; to be adopted in truth, by 
loving every one that seems to be adopted. Let me 
remember my former deplorable condition, and be 
humble ; my present privileges and be thankful ; and 
my future hopes, and be holy in ail manner of life 
and conversation. And let me daily wonder at that 
love, and adore the sovereignty of that free grace, 
that puts hellish brats among the sons of God, and 
enriches them with so many privileges ; which con- 
tain not only what is good in this world, but the glo- 
ries and felicities of the world to come. 



MEDITATION CVII. 

CONNEXIONS. 

June 24, 1759. 

Ignorant mortals are always rash in their conclu- 
sions on the conduct of Providence, being blind in 
their views, and impatient under woes. But, to com- 
pose my combating thoughts, and make me wait the 
issue of all things with patience, let me look into 
some remarkable scripture-narratives, and see the fair 
sun-shine of kindness, after the storms of trouble and 
clouds of indignation are gone- 

First, then, let me look into that which befel the 
friend of God. Think what joy filled the patriarch's 



232 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

breast when promised a son in his old age, and how 
this joy was increased when the promised seed was 
born, circumcised, and grew up to be a pretty boy, 
the joy of both his parents. But, look again, and 
see the amazing temptation, the tremendous scene 
that ensues ! The promised seed must be sacrificed, 
and that by the hand of a most affectionate father ! 
Yet, see his aged joints tremble all the way to Mount 
Moriah, to offer up his beloved Isaac, as it were re- 
signing the promise again to God, trusting God to 
make it out some other way, though it were by raising 
him from the dead. Now, let us view the beginning 
of the trial of his faith ; how dark and gloomy, how 
opposite to reason, affection, and religion too ; but, let 
us connect the latter end with the beginning, and all 
at once is beautiful and bright. There his faith is 
tried, here is triumphs : there God commands, here 
he commends his obedience : There he requires, here 
he restores Isaac : The voice of God at first seems 
to strike at his former promise, here it confirms all 
with new promises, enlarged blessings, and this glo- 
rious name superadded, " The father of the faithful." 
Abraham comes home full of gladness and gratitude; 
and we have the divine account, to teach us to wait 
the end before we draw our conclusions of God's pro- 
vidential way. 

The second is the account of Joseph. In the first 
part of the scene, see his young heart ready to burst 
and break with bitter anguish ! Hear his many, but 
fruitless supplications to his cruel brethren ! How 
melting are his cries, while his hard-hearted brethren 
draw him out of the pit, to sell him for a slave! No- 
thing can save him ; compassionate Reuben is not 
within the reach of his cry. The price is agreed up- 
on, the money is paid, and away he must go ; and 
neither his parting importunities, his piercing cries, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 23S 

nor piteous back looks, can move them to relent. 
Moreover, after a little advancement in Egypt, he is 
thrown from the liberty of a servant into the confine- 
ment of a prison. This at first sight is a melancholy 
scene ; but if we look to the sufferings of a tender- 
hearted father, it is heightened to the highest pitch. 
All his sons and daughters gather around the gray- 
headed mourner, to comfort him, but in vain ; for still 
he thinks he sees the wild beast tearing his beloved 
Joseph to pieces, who screams out for help, but none 
to help is near: and then he is like to faint through 
ths excess of sorrow. Now, this is the first part of 
th3 providence, which indeed has a very dejecting as- 
pect, and if we had never heard more of the matter, 
we would have concluded them both very miserable ; 
bit let us see how the dear connexions stands. Ja- 
ccb, who had mourned many years, is at last over- 
sewed with tides of joy. Joseph, the lost, the long- 
hmented Joseph, is still alive ! The youth who was 
sold into Egypt as a servant, has all Egypt at his ser- 
vice ! He who had his feet hurt with fetters, may 
new bind princes at his pleasure, and teach senators 
wedom ! He who lately drudged about in a dun- 
gem, to attend prisoners, becomes a father to a king! 
Hs brothers, who envied him for his dreams, bow be- 
fore him, as the accomplishment of those very dreams 
wheh bred their envy ! He whose life they so little 
valued, saves the life of thousands ; and at his word, 
wh)se supplications his brethren would not hoar, all 
the land of Egypt is governed ! The long separated 
relations meet, and melt in kindness on one another's 
necc ! 

We have (not to name others) a similar instance in 

the great apostle Paul, and by his own observation 

too, in his epistle to the Philippians. This great 

man, after his singular conversion, preacheth Christ 

20* 



234 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

unweariedly in many trials and sufferings ; till, at 
length he returns to Jerusalem. There by the en- 
raged and unbelieving Jews he is set upon, and would 
have been slain, had not the Roman captain rescued 
him ; but he is so persecuted with their cruel rage, 
malice, and underhand dealings, that he is compelled 
to appeal to an heathen emperor. Now the great 
apostle of the Gentiles, to the great grief of ths 
church, is a poor prisoner ; hence says he, " I Paul, 
the prisoner of Jesus Christ.' 5 He is a long time con- 
fined in Judah, then sent to Rome, where, though ship- 
wrecked in his passage, he arrives, and is kept tw:> 
years a prisoner at large. But says he to the Philif- 
pians, " I would not that ye should be ignorant, breth- 
ren, that the things which happened unto me have 
fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospe,, 
so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the pa-* 
lace, and in all other places. And many of the breth- 
ren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, aire 
much more bold to speak » the word without fear," 
How noble the connexion! Paul intends to visit 
Rome at his own expenses, to preach the gospd 
there ; but Providence, on the emperor's expenses 
brings him to make converts, not only in the royil 
city, but in the very palace. The Jews think they 
have succeeded to their very wish, when they ha T e 
thus got rid of a pestilent fellow, and a ringleaderof 
the sect of the Nazarenes ; but they could not hare 
fallen upon a better method to spread his doctriie, 
and support his cause. To appearance, his success 
must end, when his imprisonment begins : but it is 
quite the reverse , not only Paul persists in preach- 
ing the gospel without prohibition, but the brethren 
wax bold. 

What reason, then, have I to complain on the first 
part of providence, while the outer wheel is only seen J 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 235 

Should I not wait, till the inner wheel turn round, 
and I can read plainly the last connexion ? And what 
though that should be reserved for eternity ? There 
every providence shall be completed to mine everlast- 
ing comfort, and all things concerning me connected 
in the most beautiful harmony. There shall not be 
the least gap in my lot or life, when time is no more ; 
but all things shall be made up to me in Christ Je- 
sus, to the entire satisfaction of my soul. 



MEDITATION CVIII. 

DEGREES OF NEARNESS TO GOD. 

Under sail, June 25, 1759. 
There are different degrees of nearness to God, 
which the saints enjoy. One of these is essential to 
the very being of religion in the soul ; namely, when 
the alien to Israel's commonwealth is brought near to 
God, through the blood of Jesus ; and of a foreign- 
er, made a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the 
household of God. But, another and higher step is 
the special indulgence of heaven to some saints, and 
but at some times. In the nearness of faith (for none 
that have true faith can be far from God) I walk with 
God in the duties of religion : in the nearness of 
sense, he walks with me in special manifestation of 
himself, of his love, and his glory. The one is sure 
and satisfying ; the other is sweet and comforting. 
Without the approaches of faith, 1 cannot expect 
sensible communion ; but I may have the first, when 
the last is withheld from me. The one is my daily 
allowance from the King's table, without which I 
could not live ; but the other is my sitting down at the 
table with the King, to the feast made by him, for the 
joy of his chosen. The one makes me obtain the vic- 
tory over the world : the other makes me weary of 
the world. The former is the King's highway to hea- 
ven ; and in the latter, I walk on it in the sun-shin© 



236 solitude sweetened; or, 

of his presence. The one gives a continual relish of 
spiritual things ; the other, a refreshful foretaste of 
heaven, a prelibation of glory. In the first, I have 
access to God in all my perplexities, that I may not 
despair : but I am favoured with the last only at 
times, that I may not presume. The joy of the first, 
excels the worldling's gladness from all his abund- 
ance, as far as light excelleth darkness ; but the joy 
of the last is a-kin to the joy of saints in glory. In 
acts of lively faith, the world is to me but dung and 
loss, for the exellency of the glorious object ; but in 
near access to, and communion with my Lord, I would 
fain put off corruption, put on immortality, and be- 
come an inhabitant of the world above. O how does 
a beauty beam on my soul, in the few moments of 
communion, as if heaven opened before me, and eter- 
nal day shone full in my face ! What sacred joy 
prevails within, and how am I refreshed in every pow- 
er! Though the christian must not build on them, 
since without them his soul may live, yet they are not 
as scoffers would affirm, delusion, enthusiasm, and 
such like ; for always after this divine intercourse, 
Christ is dearer to me, self more loathsome, sin more 
odious, the world more vain, religion more pleasant, 
my affections more refined, my desires more on spiri- 
tual things, and heaven more desirable. 

But now, if a pleasure so great, of which we can 
only conceive while we enjoy it, springs from a few mo- 
ments communion in a more glorious way than usual 
(for every saint has communion with God) how di- 
vine is a religious life ! And what a tragical scene is 
the most pleasant life of the happiest sinner, compa- 
red to this ! And, in a word, what must the life of 
glory be, where communion, of another nature than 
ever known below, shall be the privilege of all the 
heavenly family 1 where God shall shine in all his glo- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 237 

ry, and shed abroad his love in every glowing heart ! 
and where it shall be the ineffable bliss of every ar- 
dent adorer, to see more and more of his goodness, 
and approach nearer and nearer to God in the unin- 
terrupted freedom of rapturous communion, through 
an endless evermore. 



MEDITATION CIX. 

UNBELIEF. 

Lying to, off Toulon, June 29, 1759. 

Few, I believe, read the history of Israel's delive- 
rance from Egypt, passage through the Red Sea, and 
daily miraculous provision in the wilderness, on the 
one hand, with their doubts, quarrels, complaints, 
murmuring, and rebellion, on the other, but are ready 
to cry out, O hardhearted Jews ! O unbelieving Israel- 
ites, to doubt in the midst of such a glorious display 
of divine goodness ! Well, then, I verily believe that no 
Christian ever lived any while below, but one time or 
other had providences exercised towards him in such 
a manner as forbade him any more tc doubt There- 
fore, we may convert our cry against the Jews into a 
complaint against ourselves, and condemn our own 
unbelieving hearts, that can, in the midst of so many 
exceeding great and precious promises, under the sun- 
shine of so much tender mercy and loving kindness, 
cry out, I perish! I perish! 

How horrid, how hateful, and how hurtful a sin is 
unbelief! It spits in the face of the promise, and 
accounts the faithfulness of God a lie. It forgets all 
the great things which God had done before, and de- 
spairs of ever seeing again the like displays of divine 
power. It heightens the calamity, doubles the dig- 
tress, and concludes deliverance impossible. As the 
prayer of faith opens heaven, so the despondencies of 
unbelief shuts it. It starves the soul, and disturbs 



238 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

sweet tranquility of mind. It musters fears, multi- 
plies enemies, and says, like Solomon's sluggard, 
" There is a lion in the way, I shall be slain*" As 
strong faith glorifies God most, so great unbelief dis- 
honours him to the highest degree. It binds up the 
very arm of God, who cannot, who will not do many x 
mighty works where unbelief prevails. It draws 
death out of the book of life, by gathering up the 
threatenings, and passing over the promises. As the 
most perfect degree of faith, which is assurance, is 
heaven begun below, so the highest degree of unbe- 
lief, which is despair, is hell begun in time. How da- 
ringly does it contend with God, and dispute the mat- 
ter with the Most High! Says God, "Put me in re- 
membrance," to wit, of my promise ; but says unbe- 
lief, " Thou hast forgotten to be gracious, and in thy 
wrath hast shut up thy tender mercies." Says God, 
u Remember w T hat enemies consulted against thee, 
and what enemies answered, that thou mayst know 
the Righteousness of the Lord ;" but says unbelief, 
" This evil is of the Lord, why should I wait for him 
any longer?" Says God, <* 1 have blotted out your 
sins as a cloud, and your iniquities as a thick cloud ;" 
"No," says unbelief, "they are marked before thee 
in a book, for the time to come, for ever and ever." 

Now, shall I harbour such a monster in my breast, 
that would turn my whole soul into confusion ? Shall 
I circumscribe that part that has often displayed its 
glory in my deliverance ! Shall I deny the merits of 
the sufferings of the Son of God, or the virtue of his 
blood ? Shall I be afraid that his grace be not suffi- 
cient to strengthen me for the performance of every 
duty to which he may call me ? It is not only unge- 
nerous, but sinful, to entertain thoughts so detracting 
from the glory of God, and so destructive to mine 
own soul. Henceforth, let me be strong in the faith, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 239 

giving glory to God. Let me lift^ mine eyes from 
growing difficulties of every kind, on every hand, and 
look to God; so shall the mountain become a plain, 
and over the stream of affliction I shall go dry shod. 

But why condemn Israel, and not myself? The God 
that did those wonders, is the same with whom I have 
to do. As I believe them to be true, I am as much 
bound to believe him, as they were who saw them, 
seeing he changes not, nor faints, nor is weary, and 
since his care over his church and saints is the same in 
all ages. And though I am not to expect miracles, 
by which he confirmed the church to himself in those 
times, yet I am with as great confidence to depend 
on that God, to whom miracles are as easy as the 
common course of nature, as if I were governed by 
the interposition of miracles. Let me not, then, my- 
self, commit what I condemn in others, but learn spi- 
ritual wisdom from spiritual folly. Yea, how egre- 
giously guilty shall I be if I retain a transgression in 
my right hand, for which I have seen, in the sacred re- 
cords, men so awfully punished, and with which God 
has shown himself so highly displeased! And no 
wonder, for unbelief strikes against God ; whatever 
the language of other sins be, still this speaks against 
God ; even in every murmuring whisper ! Against his 
faithfulness, as if his promise might not be depended 
on, nor his record received ; against his power, as if 
it could not perform and bring to pass ; his wisdom, 
as if he could not foresee ; his providence, as if he 
could not protect, defend, provide ; his counsel, as if 
he could not direct ; his mercy, as if he had no com- 
passion; his conduct, as if he could err; and, in a 
word, against all his glorious perfections, as if he 
were not God. 

If my unbelief respects my sin, I look more to the 
demerit of my transgresions, than to the dignity of 



240 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the divine Redeemer, that taketh away the sin of the 
world. Now, as the Creator is infinitely greater than 
the creature, so the Saviour, who is Immanuel, God 
with us, is infinitely above the sinner, and from eter- 
nal wrath can save to the uttermost all that come to 
God through him. It is but cruel unbelief at the bot- 
tom, however I may pretend to put honour on the 
holiness of God, when I say that my sins are too atro- 
cious to be satisfied for by the death and sufferings of 
our incarnate God, too black to be washed away by 
the blood of the Lamb of God. 

Again, if mine unbelief respects the affairs of this 
life, I measure omnipotence by my weakness, infinite 
wisdom by my folly, and God by myself. So, when I 
am nonplussed, I think that God is so too, else why 
should I be disquieted in any condition, were not my 
thoughts of this detestable stamp, seeing he can re- 
deem out of all distress ? Then let me look, in all 
cases and afflicting circumstances, beyond the appear- 
ance, above the probability, yea, above apparent im- 
possibilities, to God alone, and I shall never repent 
my confidence, nor be ashamed of my hope* 



MEDITATION CX. 

OUR SHORT LIFE SHOULD NOT GIVE MUCH CONCERN. 

Gulf of Lyons, July 3, 1759. 
My mind is like a piece of ground, which being 
overrun with weeds no diligence can render quite 
clean, no care care keep them from appearing again, 
even after they have been plucked away. Surely so it 
fares with me and my sinful anxieties. They are ever 
springing up anew and troubling me, and nothing will 
utterly and entirely destroy them, till the ground be tur- 
ned up by the plough of death, and left fallow till the 
resurrection. Yet, that I be not altogether barren 
and unfruitful in the work of the Lord, let the busy 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 241 

hand of faith be ever plucking up the base weeds of 
noxious unbelief. 

Again, why am I so much concerned about a world 
I am so soon to leave ? Were my possessions to fall 
on this side Jordan, and I to inhabit here for ever, 
what more could I do than I have done, and am do- 
ing ? Yet T am but a stranger, a sojourner, and a 
pilgrim ; here to-night, but gone to-morrow, to return 
no more. Yea, this night, what dare I boast of to- 
morrow, not knowing what the silent watches of the 
night may bring forth ? and if not one day, far less of 
many, may I boast. It is but a look, and I have lost 
sight of this world eternally ; why then set my heart 
on that which shall one time or other so terribly de- 
ceive me ? A few moments, and my eternal state is 
begun, and I am naturalized in the world of spirits, 
and dashed out of the roll of the sons of Adam, yea, 
out of the remembrance of all my nearest relations ! 
Should I then, mind much what entertainment I meet 
with by the way, if I may make an happy journey's 
end ? The traveller ought to think more on his home, 
than on his usage in his way home. Surely, one 
should be ready to think, that men carried their riches 
to eternity with them, yea, and were more welcome 
on that account, or why these unwearied endeavours, 
and perpetual bereavings of rest, to obtain them ? O 
folly! O fear ! O faithlessness! Folly, that I concern 
myself with moments, and neglect eternity : Fear, 
that I should be distressed about a day, which scarce 
has dawned till done, and dwell not with joy on ages 
to come : Faithlessness, that I should doubt the pro- 
mise, yea, the appendix to the promise ; for salvation 
from sin, and eternal life is the promise, and all things 
that respect this life are only appendixes thereto ; as 
if he who is faithful in one thing, and the only thing* 
could falsify in trifles. 

21 



242 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

Now, though my whole life were one continued 
scene of affliction, yet the very shortness of it might 
sweeten it. Though it be a vapour, a shadow, a wind 
that passeth away, surely the attending calamities can 
be of no longer continuance, than that duration upon 
which they attend. Nothing can pass from this world 
to that, but my disembodied immortality ; yea, the 
painful remembrance of my troubles and present dis- 
tresses, shall cease, when 1 am swallowed up of ever- 
lasting joy. I see, then, that my concern turns on a 
wrong hinge, and my care terminates on a trifle. All 
my concern should be, not to provide for the few mo- 
ments of a transient life, but to improve for the glori- 
ous ages of an endless eternity. And that care which 
in despondency I expend on the vanities of time, how 
to be possessed of them, I should lay cut in piety on 
the treasures of uncreated glory, how to prepare for 
the divine possession. Well may I commit to him 
the bearing of my charges by the way, who has adop- 
ted me for his son, and made me an heir of his king- 
dom, to which I am travelling home. 

My time is become less since I began to write, 
and soon it will be wholly gone ; how foolish, then, 
to give myself present disquietude about time to come, 
which I may never see ! But I am certain of eterni- 
ty. Therefore, into grateful admiration at those ap- 
proaching glories which I shall there possess, 1 should 
convert my ungoverned lamentations over the pre- 
sent gloomy aspects of time, and keep silence in the 
composing exercise of faith ; remembering, that he 
had never a bad day, who had a good night ; nor a 
miserable life, who died the death of the righteous ; 
nor his time full of agony and grief, which ended in 
an eternity of glory ! 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 243 

MEDITATION CXI. 

FAITH. 

Gulf of Lyons, July 7, 1759, 
Faith is a divine grace, and the very life of the 
soul below ; hence we are said to <k walk by faith ;" 
and if our lives are spiritual, it is by the faith of the 
Son of God that we live the spiritual life. 

It is a strange definition of faith given by the apos- 
tle to the Hebrews, yet divinely true, "Now, faith is 
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of 
things not seen ;" that is, though we can only hope 
for those felicities and glories which are future, yet 
faith, in its glorious acts, can suck the honey and mar- 
row out of them, so as to supply the soul even in the 
present time, with the substance of that which is still 
future ; and, by refreshful foretastes of bliss, bring the 
brightest evidences of celestial excellencies, which 
are not visible to flesh and blood. Thus, by the first 
fruits of glory, the soul is ascertained of entering into 
the land of promise. Faith is begun vision, or seeing 
things at a distance, and through a glass : Vision is 
faith finished or perfected, and seeing things at hand, 
and with a naked eye. It is the bond of union be- 
tween God and the soul, which can never be broken 
by all that can befal us in the world ; "for this is the 
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 
And he that believes in God endures all things, as 
seeing him who is invisible, and waits for the brighter, 
the diviner views of glory. 

Faith is a mutual inhabitation. It is Christ in the 
soul: hence says the apostle, "I live, yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me," and the soul in Christ; hence 
we are said to "put on Christ," and, being dead to 
the world and to sin, to have our spiritual life hid 
with Christ in God. Faith brings to God the greatest 
honour, and to the soul the greatest happiness ; as 



244 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK> 

unbelief does the opposite of both. Faith accounts 
him faithful who has promised, and composes all 
within ; while unbelief makes the God of truth a liar 
and sets the whole soul, in all her powers and facul- 
ties, in an uproar. Faith has won its victories, 
wrought its miracles, and done wonders in the world ; 
"for to him that believeth, all things are possible." 
And a warrantable faith never fell short of its expecta- 
tion ; yea, often has the goodness of God gone beyond 
the faith of his saints. 

Every thing for which I pray in faith shall be 
granted, and mountains become a plain, and seeming 
impossibilities disappear. Yet I am not to pray for 
impossibilities ; for though to God all things are pos- 
sible, yet I could not pray in faith (and whatsoever is 
not of faith is sin) for things I am convinced I have 
no warrant in the word of God to seek or expect ; 
such as, for the sun to stand still, waters to flow out 
of a rock, seas to divide, and rivers to part asunder, 
though all these things have been done. Again, I 
am not to pray for or expect things to be done in a 
miraculous manner for me, when, in the common 
course of providence, whatever I want can be be- 
stowed on me. I am not to expect the heavens to 
drop down manna to supply my daily necessity, or 
that my clothes should wear forty years without wax- 
ing old ; but I am to believe, in the midst of my 
wants, that I shall be every day supplied in a greater 
or lesser degree, as seems meet to God, by the same 
liberal hand that showered down the manna in the 
wilderness ; and perhaps in a manner that shall con- 
vince me of his special care, and confirm my belief 
of his singular favour, as much as if the drops of rain 
were turned into bread for me. His exercising his 
providence in providing for me in raiment anew, 
should be as endearing to me, as if he exerted his 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 245 

power in keeping what I had from waxing old. But, 
if 1 am shut up in some circumstances, where, as far 
as I can see, nothing less than a miracle can deliver, 
then faith is to believe the miracle, rather than doubt 
the promise, or distrust the power of God, as if any 
thing were too hard for him. 

But, how comfortable is it, that when T pray, with 
submission to the divine disposal, only for warrantable 
things, in faith, I may be assured that I shall both 
be heard and answered! but if I doubt, then unbelief 
overturns all ; and this is the reason why I cannot 
prevail. How terrible, amidst my petitions, to doubt 
if God be able and willing to perform my request, 
when he has declared himself in the affirmitive in 
both! When I do so, I turn the great God into a 
mere feeble creature, in denying his power, and (O 
horrid!) into a liar, in thinking that he has no inten- 
tion to perform his promise. I see, then, that I 
should make my petitions with submission, leaving it 
wholly to God, what he will refuse, what he will 
choose for me ; but that to doubt his love, his power, 
his faithfulness, is a heinous sin ; — his power to per- 
form to the extent of the promise, either as to spiritual 
or temporal things ; — his faithfulness, that he will per- 
form whatever he has promised ; — or his love, which, 
so to speak, waits and longs for the fittest opportuni- 
ties when his glory and my good may be most ad- 
vanced in performing the promise for me. Now, as 
his glory rises, so should my felicity, as I should 
count it all my happiness to have his glory set on 
high. 

Faith, then, is a triumphant grace. By it wrestling 
Jacob prevailed, and Jacob's wrestling sons still pre- 
vail with God. It always wins the day, secures the 
blessing, is never sent away empty ; will not, cannot 
be said nay. And by this boldness and confidence of 
21* 



246 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

faith, which is the gift of God, God is greatly glori- 
fied. Faith looks above created opposition, dwells 
in eternity, and hangs on the omnipotent arm of God. 
It wraps itself up in the promise, and cannot be di- 
vided from it until it be performed in every respect. 
It is not terrified at storms, nor disquieted by disap- 
pointments, but looks beyond the storm, above the 
disappointment ; rests on the compassion, and fastens 
on the faithfulness of its glorious Author and Finisher. 
Faith stretches beyond the narrow confines of time, 
and takes broad views of the world to come ; takes 
a tour through the land of bliss, the Canaan above, 
and converses with eternal ages. — Faith, looking to 
the Promiser, sees the way of duty plain ; while fear 
cries out, "There is a lion in the streets, I shall be 
slain ; danger and difficulty in the way, I cannot go." 
Surely, to him that believeth, all things are possible ; 
but to him that doubts, a mole-mill becomes a moun- 
tain. In after ages I shall be ashamed of my fears 
and unbelief, but never of my faith. Henceforth let 
me be strong in the faith, with submission ; — make 
my requests with resignation ; — pray in the confidence 
of being heard ; — and believe all things with patience 
and composure. 



MEDITATION CXIL 

THE THREEFOLD STATE. 

Gulf of Lyons, July 8, 1759. 
Three changes go over the natural world, the 
black and dark night, the fair and beauteous moon- 
shine, and the bright and noon-day beams: The 
same also prevail in the rational world ; there is the 
black and dark night of a natural state, in which the 
unconverted nations sit ; and there is the fair moon- 
light of grace, in which the saints walk till admitted 
into the eternal sunshine of glory in the highest hea- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIOKsl 247 

vens. Night sat on the face of the deep at first, till 
God said, "Let there be light," and scattered the 
eternal darkness with his manifesting ray. So every 
soul is not only in darkness, but darkness itself, till 
made light in the Lord ; and this darkness would be 
eternal, did not the divine beams break in upon the 
soul, and dispel the awful gloom. 

There is a vast disproportion betwixt those nights 
which are overcast with thick and heavy clouds, when 
the moon shines not, and not a star appears, but the 
angry heavens open in tremendous thunders as if 
about to convey our destruction from the ch ambers 
of the sky, while the glaring lightnings, only like so 
many torches, flash, to make our funeral more solemn- 
ly dismal, and those nights when not a star is hid, 
but in the beauty of the full-faced moon, which sheds 
a day in comparison of the former night, through the 
serene ether, on the silent earth, where not the least 
breath of wind is felt, nor the least confusion heard. 
But the disproportion is still greater between those that 
remain in their natural state, and those that are re- 
newed in the spirit of their mind. — For the poor sin- 
ner is in perpetual fear of being consumed by the 
angry thunders, and devoured by the wrath of the Al- 
mighty ; or is his case less deplorable by his insensi- 
bility, for he shall at last be awakened with a ven- 
geance, when he shall find his misery consummate, 
without any possibility of redemption. — But the hap- 
py saint has a whole heaven shining on him, all the 
divine perfections smiling in his face, every thing 
around him quiet, and every thing within tranquil ; 
nor can afflictions of any kind, or of any quantity, or 
any continuance, deprive him of this peace that passetb 
understanding. 

Now, we have this pleasant noon-light properly 
from the sun, being part of his emanations received 



248 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

by her, and reflected on us : So all the beauties and 
excellencies of grace are like so much divine glory 
seen through a glass, or reflected on us from the word 
of truth, the ordinances, and sacraments, by the ope- 
ration and blessing of the Spirit of all grace. 

Again, if we only enjoyed nights, beauteous by the 
unclouded moon and transparent sky, and knew that 
this light was from the sun, how would we long for 
day", to be delighted with beholding that bright orb ! 
Yet I very much question if we could conceive of the 
sun according to that transcendent brightness where- 
by he illuminates the extensive sky. We might con- 
ceive him to be beauteous like the moon, and a vast 
deal larger, but could never form any just idea of his 
fiery beams, insufferable rays, and sparkling efful- 
gance, too bright to be beheld by our weak eyes. 
Even so, while so many excellencies, and so much 
beauty, are to found in sacred things in religion, in 
the ordinances, in the sacraments, in the church, and 
in the saints of God, here in this day of grace, which 
is all but a part of Immanuei's glory reflected, how 
divinely bright must the Sun of Righteousness shine 
above ! What amiable beauty 1 what assimilating 
beams ! what adorable perfections ! what august ema- 
nations ! what entrancing delights ! what majesty and 
splendour shall pour from him above ! Our thoughts 
recoil on us, and our apprehensions fail, when we 
think on his infinite glory. This created sun, which 
we so much admire, would disappear in the presence 
of one of his remotest rays, as happened when Paul 
was converted. 

What brightness, what effulgence, what emana- 
tions, where he sheds around all his glory ! No cloud, 
no eclipse, no mist, no decline, no setting, to lessen 
his eternal blaze ! Surely, now our thoughts are in 
the dark about this Sun of Righteousness, and Foun- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS* 249 

tain of Glory. When admitted to perfect vision, we 
shall find, that our clearest apprehensions and bright- 
est uptakings of him below, differed but a degree from 
ignorance. How ineffably, how inconceivably glori- 
ous must he shine above ! when on the blessed be- 
holders around the throne, life descends in every ray, 
assimilation in every beam, transport and delight in 
the eternal emanations of all his divine perfections I 

How is it, then, that when I have seen something 
of the beauty of grace, I have not more desire to see 
all the excellencies of glory ? — to turn about from the 
reflective glass, and see him face to face ? — to scale 
the wall behind which he stands, and see him as he is ? 
— to change the transient glance into an eternal intui- 
tion of him in his glory? — How is it that I do not 
watch with more anxiety for the morning-light, and 
look out more eagerly for the dawning of eternal day ? 
Is night to be preferred to noon ? or created joys to 
the pleasures that overflow in the divine presence ? 
Finish, then, thy work with me, and glorify thyself 
by me. before I go hence and be no more. Then, 
through the same grace shall I say, and with the same 
sincerity as it was at first spoken, " I have a desire 
to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is far 
better.' ' 



MEDITATION CXIII. 

CORRUPTION. 

Gulf of Lyons, July 9, 1759. 

Happy they who have put off, not only mortality, 
but sin, and have put on, not only immortality, but 
perfection, and in triumph, trample on the neck of all 
their enemies, having neither foe without, nor foe 
within. But my daily complaint may be, " O wretch- 
ed man that I am! who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death ?" Satan watches and way-lays 



250 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

me; temptation attacks without, and corruption rises 
up within, and alas ! too often I offend him who is 
all love, mercy and goodness. O for the happy day 
when I shall cease to sin, and to offend the best of 
friends, the Saviour of my soul ! when my whole soul 
shall be pure and holy, and not one seed of sin be left 
within; when Satan shall tempt no more, and I yield 
no more to the temptation ; when my bitter complaint 
against corruption and sin, shall be converted into 
sweet encomiums on redeeming grace : u To him that 
loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own 
blood, be glory and honour, might, and dominion, for 
ever and ever." 

In view of that blessed day -will I rejoice ; and, 
confiding in all-sufficient grace, I will travel to the 
mount of God with courage ; and, leaning on my 
Beloved, I will journey up through the wilderness 
undismayed. For it is when I go in mine own 
strength, or walk alone, that 1 stumble into sin, to 
rectify my mistaken notions, spoil my vain confidence, 
and make me depend on God alone. 

MEDITATION CXIV. 

GRACE. 

Gulf of Lyons, July, 1759. 
Heavenly grace implanted in the soul, is the di- 
vine philosopher's stone, that turns every thing in 
our possession into a more excellent nature, and 
greater value. It is storied of the one, that it turns 
iron into silver, and silver into gold. But it is true 
of the other, that for « brass it brings gold ; and for 
iron, silver ; and for wood, brass ; and for stones, 
iron." Shedding divine contentment through the 
soul, it turns our water into wine, our pennies into 
pounds, our poor cottages into splendid palaces, bare 
supply into abundant plenty, and every thing into suf- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 251 

ficiency, because our satisfaction is the same in this, 
as if possessed of that. It diminishes distress, mag- 
nifies mercies, lessens grief, enlarges love, contemns 
vanities, breathes after future bliss, rectifies our de- 
sires, subdues our corruptions, regulates our inclina- 
tions, restrains our ambition, raises and refines our 
affections, removes the present world, and presents 
the world to come. By it we are refined in afflic- 
tion, triumph in our troubles, in all our conflicts we 
are more than conquerors, and turn the battle to the 
gate. By it we listen to rebuke, are instructed by 
the rod, submissive under crosses, silent under losses, 
patient in tribulation, meek under reproaches, hum- 
ble, though exalted, forgetful of injuries, mindful of 
benefits, faithful to our trust, merciful to our enemies, 
and friends with the whole world. 

By it we tremble at judgments, rejoice in mercies, 
observe providences, wrestle against our unbelief, are 
grieved at our ingratitude, and struggle against our 
daily failings. 

By it our souls taste divine joys, and loathe the 
light food of worldly vanities. It sweetens our sor- 
rows, mitigates our misfortunes, pierces the shadows, 
and seeks, after unseen realities. Where it is im- 
planted in the breast, every thing turns out to the 
advantage of the soul. The way of life, to others 
thorny, is flowery, and our path to our latter end is 
peace. 

What to the carnal world is a curse, is to the pos- 
sessors of this precious gem, a blessing. By it our 
pains are banished, our pleasures are purified, expec- 
tation honied, burdens lightened, weakness strength- 
ened, storms scattered, and harmony diffused within. 
What a noble thing is grace, or Christ by his spirit 
dwelling in the soul ! No wonder, then, that such a 
glorious change is made, and all to the better, so that 



252 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

we can look towards eternity undismayed, expect the 
awful judgment with unshaken faith, meet the king 
of terrors with undaunted courage, and have hope in 
the expiring pang. 

Let gold be a portion to the misers, honour to the 
ambitious, pleasures to the voluptuous, but let grace 
be mine ; for thus my afflictions are sweeter than the 
prosperity of the wicked, my reproaches preferable 
to the applauses of a giddy world, and my very death 
more desirable than the life of the most splendid, if 
impious monarch. 



MEDITATION CXV. 

LOVE AND IMMORTALITY. 

July 15, 1759. 

Welcome change, that waits to begin my happi- 
ness, and put a period to my complaint and pain. 
When this langour and lukewarmness shall be turned 
into immortality and love, I shall be all life and vig- 
our, and this vigour shall be all love and praise. Now 
corruption is a counterbalance to my love, and mor- 
tality a clog to my devotion ; but then every power 
shall be life, every faculty active, every thought wing- 
ed, and every motion heavenly. I shall praise with 
transport, and sing with rapture ; I shall adore with 
ecstacy, and love with delight ; and all this, day and 
night, without ever ceasing, or being exhausted, be- 
ing then perfect in every grace, and immortal in every 
power. Receiving my fulness from the divine pleni- 
tude, as a pipe supplied by the vast ocean, I shall pour 
out perpetual streams of praise, and torrents of love, 
and be more and more capacitated, enlarged, and re- 
plenished, by this eternal employment. 

Such is the happy state my hope claims, and to 
which, one time or other, I shall attain. Then shall 
my love be wholly a vigorous immortality, and my im- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 253 

mortality exercised in nothing but love. On the Sun 
of righteousness, divinely bright, tremendous, glori- 
ous, 1 shall fix mine eyes; which shall be strengthen- 
ed as they gaze, and never cease to behold and admire 
the divine object. I shall emulate the seraphim, and 
strive, not out of self-conceit, but from the glowings 
of sacred gratitude, the prevalency of divine love in 
my breast, to sing as loud, and love as intensely as 
they, the exalted One, whom I can call my Brother, 
my Husband, and my God.— I shall go out, in all the 
faculties of my soul, to Him, without one moment's 
intermission ; and yet mine eyes shall never be so sat- 
isfied with seeing, as to shut them on the glories 
above, nor mine ear fatigued with hearing the hallelu- 
jahs on high. Sleep shall be as foreign to my immor- 
tal perfection then, as it is impossible for my immortal 
frame to subsist without it now. There is no comma 
in the hosannas above ; no night in the years of the 
right hand of the Most High ; no interruption in the 
warbles of eternal noon ; no surfeiting on bliss, or 
loathing of divine love. No distractions shall disturb 
the adorers befoie the throne, whole perfect love casts 
out fear, where bliss is as boundless as their wish, and 
measures with eternity itself. 



MEDITATION CXVI. 

EXTREMITIES. 

Gibraltar Bay, August 6, 1759. 
God has in all ages been pleased to let matters come 
to an extremity before he sent the deliverance ; there- 
by teaching his people patience, and to hope unto the 
end ; thereby also making the deliverance more glori- 
ous, and his care of them more conspicuous, than 
otherwise it would have been. — Wherefore then mag- 
nify I every difficulty in mine eye as a mountain that 

22 



254 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

cannot be removed, and distrust that divine power that 
can do all things, and at the last extremity ? 

Now, to dispel these dark and dismal clouds that 
hang over my mind, to my great uneasiness, let me 
glance at his divine procedure with his church and 
people, from the days of old down through many 
ages. 

See, then the father of the faithful is old and strick- 
en in years, while it ceases to be with Sarah after the 
manner of women, before the promised seed is born. 
Yet that extremity is God's opportunity ; for he is 
born, in whose seed the nations should be blessed. — 
But, again, young Isaac is, by divine authority, to be 
offered for a sacrifice, and that by none other than his 
aged, his affectionate father ! Nor are the amazing or- 
ders countermanded, till the altar is reared, the wood 
laid in order, the stripling bound, and laid upon the 
wood,, and the hand stretching out the knife to give 
the fatal wound. Now, what an extremity of extremi- 
ties was this ! but not too late for God to deliver 
him. — Again, wandering Hagar sees not the well as 
soon asthe bottle is spent ; but after she had laid down 
the parched boy, and forced herself a good distance 
from him, that she might not hear his mournful cries, 
nor see him struggle with the pangs of death, God opens 
her eyes, scatters her fears, and removes her sor- 
rows. — Also just Lot makes his escape out of Sodom 
only on that very day in which it was destroyed ; and 
it was destroyed early in the day. A narrow escape 
indeed ! Perhaps the heavens were thundering round 
about him, the brimstone and fire falling behind him, 
while he fled ; yet he was safe enough under his pro- 
tection to whom extremity is the noblest opportuni- 
ty. — Let me also look at Jacob when returning home : 
He is distressed at his brother's meeting him in such 
a hostile manner ; but when he has arranged his little 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 255 

company for flight, or meeting the armed bands, the 
kindly embrace removes the doubt, and cheers his very 
soul. — Joseph is to be exalted, but he is first sold by 
his brethren, then sold again as a slave, then a priso- 
ner, which was like the very reverse of what was so 
near ; but, at the last extremity, when he could be 
brought no lower, he was advanced, till he could as it 
were, be raised no higher. Even so, his aged father's 
sorrow, which had all this time mingled his other com- 
forts with bitterness, is heightened by the story of his 
sons, about the rough dealings of the man that was 
Lord over Egypt : but from this very dungeon of wo, he 
is in a moment set into a palace of delight, when he 
hears that that same governor is his own son, his own 
beloved, his long lamented Joseph. — Again- the prom- 
ise is, that Israel shall be delivered from Egypt, and 
possess the promised land ; but see how subtilely their 
enemies deal with them, and what murdering designs 
are formed against them ! yea, when the deliverance 
begins to dawn, their task is doubled, and their bon- 
dage rendered next to intolerable. Such was their ex- 
tremity before they were brought out with en high hand. 
Nay, after this, their danger seems to be greater than 
ever, while, pursued by enemies, on many accounts 
more enraged than ever, they had seas before them im- 
passable, and hills on every hand inaccessible ; yet 
then. Omnipotence is at no loss to deliver so that seas 
divide, and are the defence of his people, but the de- 
struction of their foes* 

This divine way of procedure, delivering in the 
greatest extremity, shines also in the whole history of 
the Judges ; in the narrow escapes of flying David ; 
in the siege of Samaria when a lord, of the same 
temper with my unbelieving heart spoke also in a style 
I am too often guilty of; in the case of the widow of 
Zarephath, whose provisions were almost spent, before 



256 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

the blessing was bestowed that multiplied them ; in 
the case of her son afterwards, and the Shunamite's, 
who appeared beyond all possibility of help, when re- 
stored to life, in the sudden deliverance of Hezekiah 
and Jerusalem, from the besieging Assyrians, whose 
mighty men and leaders, a mightier angel slew in 
one night, to an amazing number ; also in the aston- 
ishing story of the three children who are apprehen- 
ded, bound, brought to the furnace, now seven times 
more heated for their reception, and thrown into the 
flame. What can help them now ? Yes, in the midst 
of the furnace they' walk at liberty, in the presence of 
a glorious person, whose form is like the Son of God. 
Such was the remarkable deliverance of pious Daniel 
from the lion's paw, when cast among their bloody 
jaws, and left a whole night to the mercy of the 
fierce devourers ; And of Jonah from the swelling 
deep, and the fish's belly, which to him was as the bel- 
ly of hell : and, in fine, of the Jews from captivity, 
who went even to Babylon, and there were delivered. 
All these being brought to an extremity, perished not 
in it, but were delivered after a most glorious manner. 
This was the way he dealt with his church and peo-. 
pie under the Old Testament dispensation, for many 
hundred years ; and it continued under the New. 
Hence see how our Lord delays his going to Lazarus, 
that he might not only relieve him from his disease, 
but raise him from the dead, which was a more glori- 
ous display of his divine power. — Such was his way 
also with Jairus' daughter, and the widow of Nairn's 
son, who seemed to be the captives of death, till the 
Lord of life commanded their release, and that at a 
time when, for hinting at it, he was laughed at, as pro- 
posing a thing impossible to be done. — See how also, 
in the utmost extremity of danger, he rescues his 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 257 

apostle Peter, by an angel from heaven, who awakes 
the sleeping prisoner, guides him through the guards, 
and leads him on, before whom the doors and gates 
open of their own accord, and let him pass into perfect 
liberty. 

What, then, is difficult for God ? What extremity 
is beyond the reach and strength of his arm ? Yea, 
since he is pleased to delay blessings and deliveran- 
ces to the last, it is my duty to* wait on him till the 
last, and to wait with hope, and in patience to possess 
my soul. 



MEDITATION CXVIL 

THE ASTONISHING PORTIONS. 

Gibraltar Bay, August 10, 1759. 

The treasures of kings have sometimes been so 
vast as to pass into a proverb. And yet, what were 
they but gold or stones dug out of the bowels of the 
earth, which, amassed to ever so great a sum, could 
neither give contentment, ensure health, nor lengthen 
life ? But there is a portion of a diviner nature, and 
infinitely more excellent, which falls to the share 
of every saint of God ; and he himself is this stu- 
pendous portion. tc The Lord is my portion, saith 
my soul." 

Now, the astonishing wonder here is, that God, in 
all his perfections, should condescend, through his Son, 
to be the portion of his people. But this wonder is 
not alone, but is joined with another, that is in a man- 
ner more surprising still, expressed in these words: 
" The Lord's portion is his people, Israel is the lot of 
his inheritance. " 

We know how highly we esteem that which we ac- 
count our portion. And the pious breathing of the 
saint is, lt Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and 
there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. 
My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is^the strengt h 
22* 



258 MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 

of my heart, and my portion for ever." Then, may 
we not see what value he sets upon his saints, that he, 
who possesses all things, and has all perfections in 
himself, should call them " his portion." 

A rich man may condescend to be the prop and 
friend of a poor man, but will scarcely allow him to 
be of great account to himself; but here it is other- 
wise, to the praise of glorious grace, which is not less 
astonishing in receiving than in giving. He gives the 
treasures of eternity, which enrich for ever ; and re- 
ceives the cyphers of time, which cannot profit him at 
all. He gives himself to be ours in his infinite excel- 
lencies for ever, and receives us, in all our wants and 
infirmities, to be his for evermore. Whether is he 
most glorious in accepting the lispings of faith, 4t Thou 
art my God," or in returning the mutual claim, " Thou 
art my people ?" Because God is the portion of our 
soul, we have hope ; and because he sees the travail 
of his soul, he is satisfied. O what condescension is 
this, not only to bow down to give himself away to 
us, but to take us up to himself! — Let philosophers 
dream on, of ten thousand inhabited worlds, yet, 
among them all, the Lord's portion is his people, and 
Israel his inheritance. The heaven is his throne, the 
earth his footstool, but his portion is dearer to him, 
than both, purchased at an amazing price, and preser- 
ved by Almighty power, to an immensity of bliss. 
Precious and costly things are in the peculiar treasures 
of kings ; how noble, then, and excellent must Jacob 
be (the choice makes it so) whom the eternal King of 
kings hath chosen to himself for his peculiar treasure, 
for whom he will give men, and kingdoms for their 
ransom ! Again, a treasure is that which is laid up 
for time to come ; then God will never cast off his 
own inheritance, give up with his portion, or throw 
away his treasure, but reserve all to eternity. Finally, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 259 

if God be the portion of his saints, why such a strug- 
gle to fill their coffers with perishing things? and why 
so disquieted if they do not succeed ? 



MEDITATION CXVIII. 

noah's ark. 

Under sail, Aug. 31, 1759. 

When the ark, which had floated many a day on a 
fearful flood, rested on the happy Ararat, and Noah, 
and the numerous creatures which were to replenish 
the world again, had the pleasant sight of spacious 
fields, just delivered from a dreadful deluge, how vast 
must have been their joy! And with what transport, 
must they have gone forth into unbounded liberty, 
called the earth their own, and appropriated the whole 
world, without any to dispute the amazing possession ! 
So, when the ark of the covenant of grace, built by a 
greater than Noah, and wherein is contained the seed 
of the new creation, shall rest on the heights of glory, 
how shall all the happy ones go forth with transport 
into the liberty of the sons of God, to possess a para- 
dise of pleasure, an heaven of ecstasy, and a world of 
bliss ! And though they shall never go out of the cov- 
enant through eternity, yet, so to speak, they shall 
spread abroad to people the heavenly Canaan, and 
possess the many mansions that are in their Father's 
house. 

Here, in the covenant, we are borne above the flood ; 
for the curse, like a deluge, overspreads the whole 
world, so that all are in a perishing condition, but such 
as are got within the ark ! and in a little, when the 
great deeps of eternity shall be opened, the floods of 
vengeance swelling high shall sweep the whole unbe- 
lieving world into oceans of eternal wrath. It is true, 
indeed, our safety is the same, being interested in him 
whom the Father has given for a covenant to the peo- 



260 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

pie, whether the ark be floating on the waters, or set 
down on the stable mountain's top ; but there is a 
difference between fluctuating on the waters of adver- 
sity, and sitting down on the mountains of bliss, in 
the presence of Jehovah and the Lamb. 

Again, as their safety was secured, and their provi- 
sion plenteous in the ark of old ; so, in the New-Tes- 
tament ark, we are secure, being hidden in him who 
sits on the floods, and governs in the storms, and who 
will never let the deluge overthrow his own, but cause 
them to swim safely amongst the rending billows, and 
walk securely, as Israel of old, amidst devouring 
deeps. And our provision is not only plenteous and 
profuse, but spiritual and divine. 

Besides, in this ark, by the eye of faith, even while 
the deluge is not wholly gone, we get, which Noah 
could not boast of, reviving views of the tops of the 
eternal mountains, and gladdening glances of the 
heights of glory. 

Again, when the flood of wrath shall be at the high- 
est with all the wicked world, our ark shall sit down 
on the celestial Ararat. Then, as Noah sacrificed to 
God when he was gone forth of the ark, which he 
could not do while in it ; so, in that triumphant state 
of glory, we shall worship him in a manner to which 
we never could attain in the militant state ; and, to 
our eternal joy, shall look up and see the "rainbow 
about the throne." in its most beauteous colours, 
showing, as it shines, that the flood of divine wrath, 
which once pursued the human race to swallow up all 
who had not fled to the sacred ark for safety, shall 
never return again to swallow up the ransomed na- 
tions. Then, dwelling in that land where ^ there is 
no more sea," we shall walk at liberty, enjoying beat- 
itudes unlimited as our thought, and extensive as con- 
ception itself; and through the unnumbered years of' 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 261 

his right hand, we shall proclaim the compassion, and 
dwell upon the love of him who was himself our di- 
vine, our glorious ark that bare us above the waves of 
vengeance (though, to perform that kind of office, he 
himself for a while was carried <•<■ into deep waters, 
where the floods overflowed him") and brought us in- 
to his presence, where rivers of pleasures flow for 
evermore. 



MEDITATION CXIX. 

ACQUAINTANCE. 

Spithead, Sept. 25, 1759. 
We are fond of contracting acquaintance with great 
and famous men, and sometimes lament the death of 
some before we were born, and our distance from others 
while we live. What pleasure would it afford me, 
had I known the first worthies of the world ! To have 
had an hour's company and conversation with the first 
man, the father of us all ; to have been acquainted 
with the divine Enoch, who was wafted deathless to 
glory ; with Noah, the preacher of righteousness ; 
with Abraham, the father of the faithful ; with Mo- 
ses, the man of God ; with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of 
one and the same promise ; with the deeply depress- 
ed, and highly-advancedJoseph ; with Elijah and Elisha ; 
with Samuel, David, and Solomon ; in a word, with 
all the prophets, apostles, evangelists, and martyrs'; 
and all the New-Testament worthies down to the 
present time : I say, to have been acquainted with 
all these great men, what secret pleasure would it 
afford ! What instruction from their conversation, and 
what joy to behold so many sparkling graces in each 
of them 1 But this is what can never happen ; yet 
there is one thought that abundantly supplies the loss, 
That all those who are united in the living Head shall 
meet together in the general assembly and church of 
the first-born. 



262 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

There shall I see Adam, not in that melting anguish 
he sustained when driven out of the terrestrial para- 
dise, but with a fulness of joy proper to one entered 
into the heavenly paradise of eternity : There shall I 
see Enoch walking in very deed with God, and enjoy- 
ing eternally and uninterruptedly that communion he 
delighted in below : There shall I see Noah, not 
preaching to an inattentive world, but praising in con- 
cert with all those that in the ark of the covenant 
were saved from the flood of wrath that swept away 
the wicked : There shall I see Abraham, not travel- 
ling to the mountains of Moriah to offer up his son, 
but dwelling in the mount of God to offer up his song, 
his sacrifice of praise, possessed of greater glory, and 
more noble blessings, than even his strongest faith 
ever could expect : There shall I see Isaac and Jacob, 
not sojourning in a strange land, but dwelling in Im- 
manuel's land, without any more removing to and fro : 
There shall I see Joseph, not in that anguish of spirit 
he was in when sold for a slave, but in a nobler condi- 
tion then when governor over Egypt : There shall I 
see Moses, not struggling with a rebellious Israel in an 
howling wilderness, but triumphing with the true Is- 
rael, in w T hom iniquity is not beheld, and entered on 
the possession of the heavenly Canaan for eternity : 
There shall I see, also Samuel the reformer, David the 
upright, and Solomon, the w T ise, with all the prophets 
and apostles, the evangelists and martyrs, shining 
with additional lustre, and inconceivable glory. Yea, 
not one of all the saints of God, though the names of 
thousands of them were never heard of in the world, 
but I shall be acquainted with, and know all about 
them that can set forth the glory of God, and the 
praises of redeeming love. I shall know who and 
what they were in the world, whence they came, and 
what they suffered for his name's sake. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 263 

Had I been acquainted with them in their imper- 
fect state, either corruption in thern might have re- 
strained my regard toward them, or corruption in me 
might have deadened my affection for them ; but my 
acquaintance with them shall be when they and I also 
have put off all corruption, and are spotless as the an- 
gels of light. How is it, then, that I have concluded 
all the worthies of the old world as gone from me for 
ever, when, in a little, I shall come into their compa- 
ny, into their assembly, to depart no more ? Further, 
what will sweeten all, is, that my acquaintance with 
them shall be in and through Christ, in whom all his 
saints are one ; and my delight in them will spring 
from their resemblance to Christ, and rise according 
to the degree of that. Then, like so many stars, they 
shall reflect the glory of the Sun of Righteousness ; 
and he that reflect? most glory shall be the brightest 
star. Besides, as the Lamb is the light of the holy 
city, so he shall be the fulness of the higher house, 
replenishing all the inhabitants, who shall have Christ 
in them, once u the hope," but then the harvest "of 
glory," and with them as such shall I be acquainted. 
Hence shall Christ be to every one all in all, even in 
their delight in, and acquaintance with, one another ; 
because, loving him that begets, supremely and eter- 
nally, they cannot but love them that are begotten 
under the same divine likeness. 

What a friendly office, then (though to the greater 
part unwelcome) does death, in the hand of Christ 
perform to his chosen, in convening the saints toge- 
ther from remotest corners, scattered kingdoms, and 
and distant ages, and, with a smiling countenance, 
ushering them, not only into the presence of one ano- 
ther, but into the presence of their Lord ! 

•On the other hand, how miserable must the wicked 
be, whose acquaintance with the great, of which they 



264 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

are now so proud, at the hour of death shall cease for 
ever ! for beings in torment can be no entertaining 
company to one another ; but, by being once compan- 
ions in sin, shall mutually screw up their horror, and 
whet their anguish for ever. 



MEDITATION CXX. 

AX ARGUMENT. 

In harbour, Oct- 3, 1759. 

Would a man of any spirit be cast down for an 
extremity of distress, enduring but for a day, if as- 
sured that his whole after life should be felicity and 
peace ? Though for this short time he were hungry, 
thirsty, naked, imprisoned, reproached, reviled, envi- 
ed, hated, contemned, ridiculed by flatterers, aban- 
doned by friends, insulted by foes, and made the gaz- 
ing-stock of all ; yet, would not the certain know- 
ledge of so sudden a change in his favour take off 
the edge of all ? Would not the forethought of the 
sumptuous table at which he should ever sit, and the 
generous wine that should go around, abate his hun- 
ger, and allay his thirst ? Would not the idea of his 
genteel dress take away the shame of his rags ? And 
his unconfined liberty render supportable his few 
hours confinement ? and that renown, love, and re- 
spect, which he should in a little be possessed of, take 
away the anguish that might arise from the opposite 
insults ? 

Now, O saint ! thy case at the worst can be no 
worse than this, to suffer, through the short day of 
thy life, much tribulation, and many afflictions; much 
distress, and many troubles ; yea, though some singu- 
lar distress, as war, persecution, or pestilence, should 
bring thy death along with it, yet thy state is secured, 
and thine exit is into eternal glory. What ! should 
poverty make any impression on thy mind, who art 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 265 

an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ ; who shalt 
walk on streets of gold, nor regard the sparkling 
pavement ? Should imprisonment trouble thee, who 
shalt walk at liberty in the paradise of God through 
eternal day ? Should shame produce a blush in thy 
countenance, who shalt be confessed by thy divine 
Master before his heavenly Father, and all his holy 
angels ? Should want of any kind affect thee, who 
art complete in Him in whom the fulness of the God- 
head dwells ? Should disappointments, repeated, ag- 
gravated disappointments, deject thee, whose assured 
Friend governs the universe, and never will forget, will 
never forsake thee? In a word, should any cross events 
in time distract thee, who hast an eternity of felicity 
before thee, where thy happiness shall stretch beyond 
thy most extensive thoughts ? 

Take the scales and balances, then, and sit down 
and weigh the lightness of thy troubles, the transito- 
riness of thine afflictions, (even allowing them to har- 
ass thee through thy whole life, which is not one day, 
one minute, or one moment, to eternity; ) and that 
boundless, ineffable bliss, that awaits thy better life, 
thine immortal state in the invisible world, and say, if 
that ingenuity, which should be inseparable from an 
expectant of glory, be in thee, whether fits of despon- 
dency for any thing that can befal thee in this world, 
or songs of praise for that nameless immense all that 
is reserved for thee in the world to come, be most 
proper to thy present state ? 



MEDITATION CXXI. 

ON EEING ILL USED. 

Spithead, Oct. 18, 1759. 

Surely I forget myself, and the place of my abode, 
else I should not take it in bad part to be ill used in 
such a world as this. Would I have at once the 
23 



266 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

smiles of heaven-, and the caresses of the earth? It 
is very fair that I get through the enemy's country 
with life, though now and then I suffer loss. I 
must not be surprised that i suffer, though innocent; 
for none were ever so innocent as our blessed Lord, 
yet none suffered more than did the Prince of inno- 
cence. k< It is enough for the disciple that he be as 
his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have 
called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much 
more shall they call them of his household ?" Why am 
I astonished at an usa^e which my Lord not only met 
with himself but assured all his disciples that they 
should experience ? How is it that 1 have fallen into 
this fond delusion, dreaming that nothing should hurt 
me while I was endeavouring to walk uprightly with 
him before whom are all my ways, and forgetting that 
often the saints have suffered for following aftei what 
is good ? I am yet in the world, and the God of this 
world is not my God, nor the men of this world my 
brethren ; therefore no wonder that the world hates 
what is not its own. — For shame ! have I taken it 
amiss, that a kxv droi^of that shower of malice and 
envy which poured jwfull flood on the glorious Head, 
should fall on an uTiworthy member ? How have 1 
forgotten to imitate the divine pattern of humility, 
who, when he w r as reviled, reviled not again ; when 
blashphemed, replied with meekness, interceded for 
his murderers, and prayed for his most flagitious foes ! 
O to be more and more self-denied ! If once I thought 
as little of myself as I ought. I should not think much 
of being treated with indignity, and used contemptu- 
ously by others. 

Though I may have recourse to the law for my pro- 
tection and defence, yet surely it is often my duty to 
say, like humble David, u Let him curse, for the Lord 
hath bidden him. ? ' How divinely sweet is the inspi- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 267 

red advice, f 1 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, 
but rather give place unto wrath!" Ah! says cor- 
rupt nature, must 1 tamely see, myself abused, and not 
resent it ? Must I not stand on my own defence, and 
return his wickedness on his own head ? No, says 
the apostle ; vengeance belonsreth not to you ; " for , 
it is written, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I 
will repay ;" therefore let the matter alone, leave it 
to God who knows when and how to plead thy quar- 
rel against thine adversaries ; and show thou the ex- 
cellency of , the Christian religion, by feeding thine 
enemy when hungry, and giving him to drink when 
thirsty, till thou hast won him from his spleen ; but, 
if he still retain his inveterate malice, thy kindly acts 
will heap coals of fire upon his head. Then, let my 
behaviour be such as is here enjoined, while, with the 
psalmist, I say, a Let them curse, but bless thou ;" 
keeping ever fixed in thy mind this maxim, That a 
greater pleasure springs from a free and frank for- 
giveness of injuries to the sanctified soul, than the 
most choleric breast can feel in the most sanguine 
revenge. 

' Has not the sun often shed its cloudless beams on 
them who blasphemed their Maker ? Have not the 
clouds many a time watered their fields who never 
acknowledged the divine munificence ? And has not 
all nature poured forth her riches, times innumerable, 
to those who walked contrary to the God of nature ? 
Game these things by chance ? No : They were the 
effects of bis unbounded goodness, which teems di- 
vinely free, and vastly full on all, in spite of the ingra- 
titude of the wicked, in spite of the daring impiety of 
the unjust; no less showing himself God in his con- 
duct with the world, than in his creation of the world. 
Copy, then, my soul, this amiable perfection. Deal 
with the whole world, as if every one were thy --bro- 



268 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

ther, or thy friend and though they may forfeit the 
name, let them never forfeit thy kind regard. As the 
sun changes not his course, though bursting clouds 
and bellowing thunders fight below ; so, if thou move 
in the celestial sphere of pratical religion, thou wilt 
never omit the duties of a Christian to any, though 
all should commit the hostilities of an heathen to- 
wards thee. Let not the distress of thine enemy af- 
ford thee delight, nor the misfortunes of thy invete- 
rate foe infuse a secret pleasure. Sympathise with 
him in his calamity who could laugh at thine ; and, 
as far is consistent with truth, preserve his good 
name who. to the wounding of truth, has robbed thee 
of thine. Remember benefits, forget injuries, forgive 
reproachful tongues, overlook affronts, wish well to 
every individual, pray for all for whom prayer ought 
to be made, and be a child of God in temper and 
conduct, in spite of corrupt nature, earth and hell, 
aiming at perfection, as thy Father which is in heaven 
is perfect. 



MEDITATION CXXII. 

THE BIBLE, A STORE-HOUSE OP INSTRUCTIONS. 

Quiberon Bay, Jan. 23, 1759. 
Man is not only a worm as to his exract, but a 
beast as to his knowledge ; hence the most sagacious 
of Adam's sons would be but fools in things that con- 
cern them most, without this divine monitor, the 
Scripture. Here I am informed when the world be- 
gan, and who was my first parent, the grand repre- 
sentative and federal head of all his offspring : how 
sin and death entered into the world, and how both 
are done away. Hence the mystery of a three-one 
God shines with awful effulgence; while the glorious, 
amiable, and divine work of redemption, darts com- 
fort and surprise on the enraptured inquirer. — By the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 269 

scriptures of truth, the concerns of a future world 
are clearly presented to me. Would I be a member 
of Christ, and have his righteousness made mine ? — 
Well, they tell me how I may become the one, and be 
clothed with the other. Would I flee from the wrath 
to come ? Here the way"Ties plain, and the place 
where I can be safe. If sin press hard upon me, 
they show me where to cast my sins ; if short- 
coinings and weakness vex me, whence to draw 
my strength, and in whom I am complete. They 
counsel me in my doubts, and shine upon my dark- 
ness. Not a calamity can! be in, but they can cheer. 
Not a step I need to take, but they can direct. Am 
I a son of Zion ? -Then I am to seek her peace her 
welfare and prosperity. — Is the church in distress? 
I am to give God no rest till he establish her, and 
make her a praise through the whole earth. -^-Does he 
hide his face from me? Then I am to seek, nor cease 
to seek him, till I find the Beloved of my soul.- — Do 
I pine by his blow? Yet at the work of his hand I am 
to be dumb. — Does he remove my relations by death ? 
Still I am to hold my peace, and even subscribe 
Amen. — Am I injured ? That I am to forgive. — Am 
I reproached? This I am to pass by. — Do men de- 
spitely use me ? For them I am to pray. — Must I re- 
move from this worJd ? Then I am to pnss my time 
only as a sojourner not a fixed inhabitant. — Do I en- 
joy human society 11 That is to be improved in speak- 
ing on divine things. — Am I among sinners? Then 
I am to reprove. — Among saints? These I am to 
imitate. — Have I an house ? It is to be a place of 
righteousness — Have I a family ? They and I what 
ever others do, are to serve the Lord. 

Again- am I sorrowful ? I arn to pray. — Am I in 
severe afflictions ? Yet then in patience I am to pos- 
sess my soul. — Am I in a warfare ? I am to take to 
23* 



270 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

myself the whole armour of God. — Have I tribula- 
tions ? In and under them I am still to rejoice. — Am 
I poor ? I am to seek for my riches that treasure that 
is eternal in the heavens. — Have 1 riches ? In them 
I am not to trust, but in the living God, who gives me 
all things richly to enjoy. — Do I rejoice? It is to be 
only in the Lord. — Am I merry ? I am to sing psalms. 
— Have 1 affections ? They are to be set on things 
above. My conversation is to be in heaven, and my 
soul a temple for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. Here 
parents and children, masters and servants, and every 
relation, are clearly instructed in their relative duties 
to one another. Here the king is taught how to 
reign, and the subject how to obey ; the judge how to 
conduct every trial, and how to pass sentence ; the 
sinner how to become a saint, and the saint how to 
grow in every grace. 

Here I am instructed what company to choose, 
what to shun ; whom to esteem and delight in, whom 
to pity, and for whom to pray. Here I am admonished 
how to behave as a public or private person towards 
men of every rank, in peace or war, as victor or van- 
quished. Here are the infallible rules whereby I 
may know the state of my soul, and if my claim for 
future bliss be well grounded, or founded on delusive 
dreams. Here I learn for what to care, and how to 
estimate created things, and all the gaudy pomp of 
time. In a word, here I am taught how to have my 
conversation in heaven, while on earth, to ripen for 
glory, and enlarge for God. 



MEDITATION CXXIII. 

ASSURANCE. 

Should not the folly of the world teach me wis- 
dom ? They provide for time, and shall I not provide 
for eternity ? But, how shall I secure endless felici- 
ty, and know my interest in unchangeable love ? 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 271 

Well, then, may not I, in the language of faith, argue 
myself into a firm belief of eternal bliss? and, without 
delusion, fortify myself against the attacks of sin, and 
sallies of unbelief? — Is not Christ come to seek and 
save the lost? and am not I among the number, and 
willing to be sought and saved ? — Is not the call to all 
the sons of men without exception ? — Why then not 
obey it without contradiction ? — Am not I command- 
ed to believe and be saved? Then, have I never 
believed as yet or am I determined never to believe ? 
No ; tC Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." 
Further, has my faith the marks of true faith ? Is it a 
faith that purifies the heart, and aims at holiness in 
life 1 Have I accepted of Christ on his own terms ; of 
a whole and complete Saviour? Then true faith can 
never be disappointed, nor the true believer fall final- 
ly away, for ' faith is the gift of God," and "the gifts 
and calling of God are without repentance." 

Now, from the foot of the ladder I ascend, and 
^limb the sacred steps, till I reach the throne of God, 
and read the secrets of eternity, the records of re- 
deeming love. Hence, if my daily burden be in- 
dwelling sin, and if I strive against the tyrant raging 
in my breast, in such a manner that what I do I al- 
low not, this is a sign of the new nature ; for light 
and darkness cannot dweli together in perfect peace, 
but darkness and darkness struggle not together. 
Now, will not this say, that I am partly sanctified; and 
if sanctified, that I am justified ; and if justified, that 
1 am predestinated; and if predestinated, that I by 
name am foreknown in the decree of election ?— Now, 
am I not as sure of salvation, as if I were in heaven 
already? Can the purpose of God be disannulled? 
Can the faithfulness of God fail ? 

I may doubt, and be in the dark again, respecting 
my clearness to my claim, but he will never deny him- 



272 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

self. Heaven and earth may, yea, shall pass away, 
but his purposes of love, and promises of grace, shall 
stand. Can I not trust God in time for the com- 
pleting of my promised happiness when time shall be 
no more, as well as trust him for the continuation of 
my consummate felicity in heaven, through eternity it- 
self ? Can time and dates, periods and eeras, make any 
change on God ? No : ail is eternity with the un- 
changeable Jehovah ; flying time only respects frail 
and dying creatures ; such as I am. If, then, I have 
an interest in his love now, I shall have it for ever ; 
for though death tears my soul and body assunder, it 
shall not touch my state, nor separate me from his 
love. Now, what would faith, nay, what would sense 
haye more ? 

But, there is another security given to mine eternal 
bliss ; for I am elected ^ in the beloved." Now, hea- 
ven and eternity would look strange to the believers, 
if their best friend w T ere not there ; and empty to 
Christ, if his costly purchase was not there. Yea, 
my happiness is, as. it were, connected with the happi- 
ness of the man Christ. Now, the Son is eternally 
united to the human nature, as Mediator ; and there is 
no jarring betwixt the human and divine nature, in 
the person of the Son. There being therefore a sa- 
cred oneness between the glorious Head and all his 
members, there is also a commonness of felicity 
among them ; so that the glory which the Father gives 
to Christ, he gives to his disciples, and into the very 
joy of their Lord all his followers enter. Therefore, 
in and with an exalted and glorified Jesus, I shall be 
eternally blessed. Now, unless I be afraid that Christ 
mystical can be divided, the divine attributes set ajar- 
ring, the hypostatical union dissolved, the covenant of 
grace disannulled, and the eternal decrees broken, I 
may rest in the sweetest assurance of divine Favour? in 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 273 

spite of all the blasts that earth and hell, and sin, and 
unbelief, can raise. 



MEDITATiON CXXIV. 

OUR MEDITATIONS CRAMPED, UNLESS STRETCHED BEYOND DEATH. 

1761. 
Would any man envy that person's situation as su- 
perlatively happy, who were confined to a garden 
beautified indeed with all the varieties of nature, and 
decorated with all the ornaments of art, if its walls 
were high to heaven, so that he could not cast a look 
beyond them, but must remain a stranger to the 
whole world, except his own family, not being indulg- 
ed with a single giance of the spacious plains that 
border on him, the shady forests, and the murmuring 
streams, the mighty oceans, and magnificent kingdoms, 
scattered on the face of the globe, and so could nei- 
ther exult in the felicity, nor sympathise w T ith the afflic- 
tion of any tribe of men ? Yet this man would be far 
more happy (as here he might remember his latter 
«nd) than he that dares not look beyond death, that 
will not think on a world to come. 

How is he cooped up, that can only reflect on the 
few scenes that are past, or revolve* in his mind those 
which are expected to take place during a present, 
but transitory life ! How is he straitened in his ac- 
quaintance, though a courtier, though a king, who on- 
ly knows and is known among the perishing sons of 
clay, but never lets his thoughts penetrate into the 
world of spirits, or rise to the Father of lights 1 
Such a man, whatever he be in this world, is to be de- 
plored, not imitated ; pitied not envied. 

if the dissolving pang sets a bound to my medita- 
tions, I am of all meditants most miserable ; but if I 
can transpierce the shadows of death through a well- 
grounded faith in Christ, and rise into the broad day 



274 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

of eternity* to breathe there as in a native air, then 
every thought triumphs, and my whole soul is joyful 
and serene ; for thus I may smile in the face of impend- 
ing ruin, knowing that my treasure is on high. Thus 
may I, undisturbed, stand the overthrow of thrones, 
being assured that the throne of God my Saviour is 
established of old, and stands for ever sure. Thus may 
I get foretastes of the bliss, prelibations of the ban- 
quet above. 

Now, my state must be either thus happy, or else of 
such a terrible extreme, that when 1 iooked towards 
death [ am troubled ; towards judgment, I am terri- 
fied ; towards Gocl, I tremble ; and towards eternity, 
I am lost in astonishment and anguish. But happy 
condition ! if I can look on this world as my pilgri- 
mage and prison, and on death as the door through 
which I shall enter into tfre glorious liberty of the sons 
of God ; and if even now, by meditating on the ex- 
ercise that employs the church of the first-born, the 
divine communion they are admitted to, the beatitudes 
they enjoy, and the glories they behold, I familiarise 
the unseen world to my soul, and contract acquain- 
tance in eternity itself. 



MEDITATION CXXV. 

HOW TO BE RICH IN HEAVEN. 

Sept.. 25; 1768. 
If it is prudent to provide for the time to come, 
how much more so to provide for eternity ! While to . 
be rich in this world is the passion of thousands, to 
be rich in the next be mine. An appetite after earth- 
ly grandeur, betrays a mean spirit, and a base soul ; 
but an ambition to be great in heaven, is worthy of 
an heir of God, of an expectant of glory : For it is 
to the honour of the supreme Potentate, that all his 
subjects be nobles, be priests, be kings. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 275 

In this short lifetime is the foundation laid of thing3 
of eternal moment, and the wisdom that is from above 
will teach me to send all rny treasures thither. It de- 
serves little or no pity to be poor in this world, but 
poverty in the other is deplorable beyond the reach of 
compassion. Temporal losses may distress me ; but 
such is the brevity of life, that while I complain I ex- 
pire, and then I am possessed of all the treasures of 
glory, of ail the fulness of God. And yet according 
to the capacity of glorified saints, shall that same un- 
diminished fulness be possessed in greater or lesser 
degree. 

44 How rich died he ? " is the speech of fools at the 
decease of an acquaintance or friend. But none ever 
die rich but the saints ; for, how can that man be said 
to die rich when the very moment of his dissolution 
robs him of his all ? 

** Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,'' is the 
admonition of the dear Redeemer. Let me, then, 
lay down an imperfect plan to myself, how to be rich 
for eternity. 

1. Then presupposing that I am in a gracious state, 
I must have a Christian contempt of the world. No 
man ever filled his coffers with sand ; no monarch 
ever wore the pebble in his crown ; so the soul that 
lays up his treasures in heaven, will not concern him- 
self with perishing trifles. If my affections are not 
weaned from the creature, and set on things above, 
I shall be but poor in the world of spirits. 

2. I must be watchful in all things. The man that 
is anxious to be rich will not waste a penny ; so must 
I watch mine actions, my thoughts, my words. — - 
Again, I must watch for God, against all my secret 
sins, and also to reprove the transgressor. A bold 
and sincere reproof of sin, is a stroke against the 
enemies of the King, from which a palm of victory 



276 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

shall spring in the world of glory. I must also speak 
in commendation of the good land, that others may 
be encouraged to set out for the land of promise. — 
And could 1 bring the whole world with me, 1 should 
be more welcome to the seats of bliss. — Again, I 
must watch against carnal sorrow. Should the heir 
of a crown lament the loss of a feather? What can 
death do in his family who is the resurrection and the 
life ? It may separate them a little while, but it is only 
to meet again fur ever. — Worldly riches give their 
owners joy, but joy in the Lord increases spiritual 
riches. So 1 must guard against my delight; none of 
the gay things of time must be objects of carnal affec- 
tion. It would be mean for a noble personage to be 
charmed with a stable, who has a palace prepared for 
him ; mean for an heir of God to sit down and feed on 
the refuse of the creation. — Again, 1 must beware of 
carnal company. These are bankrupts that will spend 
at my expense, and whatever loss I make by them, yet 
in their company I shall never be able to add a mite 
to my celestial treasure. How can 1 be safe among 
robbers ? They may rob me of a good frame, wound 
my conscience, and at last leave me with a bleeding 
heart, which may pain me many days. 

3. To grow rich for the world to come, I must 
study to be heavenly-minded, not by fits and starts, 
but in one constant, steady, holy frame of spirit. 
Thus every duty will be my delight ; prayer and 
praise, like my daily food, always pleasant ; attend- 
ance on the public ordinances, like walking in the 
King's palace garden ; reading the scriptures, like 
conferring with the dearest friend; and self-examina- 
tion, like the merchant from a far country, counting 
over his rich jewels and precious gems, inspecting his 
gold and silver, that it have the king's stamp, and so 
be sterling money; that his graces, his duties, his at- 
tainments, are approved by scripture and conscience* 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 277 

4. Holy meditations will mightily augment the 
spiritual riches. To find God in all things, and at all 
times in all places, and in all providences, will enrich 
my soul for eternity. To find his power in this, his 
wisdom in that, and his goodness in all, will greatly 
improve my inquiring, my admiring soul. Medita- 
ting much, meditating often, meditating with delight, 
on him in whom are hid the treasures of wisdom, is a 
noble way to enrich me for a future world. 

5. To be rich in the better country. I must heartily 
study to approve of all the dispensations of Provi- 
dence, though not insensible when he frowns, or 
when he smiles. When the soul of the Christian, 
with a filial resignation, acquiesces in the conduct of 
his Almighty Father, however cross to flesh and 
blood, and, in the midst of all commotions, reposes 
himself on his unchangeable love, he takes deep root 
for eternity; while fear and unbelief toss the unstable, 
like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. It is pro- 
per only to children, not to men, to be peevish for 
toys and trifles ; so let the men of this world lament 
the loss of worldly things, but let the heirs of God, 
the joint-heirs with Christ, rejoice that the treasures 
of eternity are theirs. 

6. To be rich unto God, and for eternity, I must 
act strong faith on the Rock of ages ; for it is from 
the spoils of b* ttles won by faith, that I amass riches 
for the invisible world. Faith relying on a reconciled 
God in all his attributes and perfections, on Jesus in 
ail his offices and relations, on the Holy Ghost in all 
his graces and operations, must remove mountains of 
difficulty, pluck up trees of corruption, pull down 
strong-holds of sin, wrestle against principalities and 
powers, and be more than conqueror at last, through 
her all-glorious Author and Finisher. 

7. I must also redeem time, and improve time ; 

24 



278 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OH, 

redeem time from this world, and improve it for the 
world to come. The man of business will be loth to 
lose a change-hour for any trifling amusement; and 
the soul that would be busy for eternity, should look 
on every hour as his last hour, and should avoid 
excess of sloth and slumber. Vain amusements, im- 
pertinent employments, are cruel moths of time; and 
time is to be husbanded, though worlds should be 
squandered away. As the jeweller deals with gold, so 
must I with time ; he is careful about the filings, and 
loses nothing ; so should I about the smallest divisions 
of time, the hour the minute, the moment. — It never 
made a dying person's bed thorny, that, by a bad 
bargain he lost such and such a sum; but misspent 
time, has made the dying moments of many, dismal 
beyond expression. 

8. To be rich in the world to come, I must have an 
intense love towards God and heavenly things. — The 
men that love the world, pant after the dust of the 
world, and spare no pdns to be rich in the world. A 
man will never toil himself to gather what he despises ; 
so, unless I prefer heavenly things to earthly, I shall 
never seek to fill my treasure with invisible excellen- 
cies. "He that loveth silver," says the wise man, 
"shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth 
abundance with increase." But he that loveth God 
shall be satisfied with God, and entranced with the 
exuberant fulness of the covenant. 

9. To be rich indeed at last, I must endeavour to 
maintain communion with God now. To have fellow- 
ship with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ, in 
all his divine fulness, his glorious perfections, and his 
gracious ways, is the most enriching course that I can 
carry on below. Every moment of divine intercourse 
would be sjnking another sum in the bank of heaven, 
so that I should be wondrous rich at last. He that 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 279 

quits the Indies for Europe, sends his treasures before 
him ; then though he be poor at his departure from 
the one country, yet he is rich on his arrival at the 
other; so, well were it with me, if I could detach my 
thoughts and meditations, my care and affections, my 
joy and delight, my hope and expectation, from this 
perishing world, and centre them on the invisible 
world. 

10. In a word, to abound in all things in the better 
country, I must make God my all in all, and just sit 
down and wonder at the overflowing treasure, till my 
mouldering clay let my immortal soul fly hence to 
commence immensely rich in heaven, in the posses- 
sion of his infinite self, world without end. 



MEDITATION CXVI. 

REVENGE REJECTED. 

Oct. 12, 1771. 

Such is the corruption of human nature, such is the 
weakness of grace in this imperfect state, that though 
the most part of Christians can act the Christian in 
some things, it is rare to find the man who can act 
the Christian in all things. When we are only spec- 
tators of the conduct of others, it is easy to prescribe, 
like an apostle, and enforce the golden rules of the 
gospel ; but, when it toucheth our very selves, we are 
troubled. A beam can lie concealed in our own eye, 
while a mote is clearly seen in our neighbour's. I am 
a man, a sinner ; and to guard against sinful sallies of 
passion is the design of this meditation; since being a 
man, I must expect to suffer from one hand or other; 
and being a sinful man, under my sufferings I may sin. 

The malice I have an eye to, is causeless, cruel, 
riveted, and unrelenting ; so that my natural spirits 
boil at the remembrance, and breathe retaliation to 
the guilty. But the character of the Christian is 



280 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

meekness, and the person who expects to arrive at 
heaven, must have his conversation in heaven, even 
while dwelling on the confines, and contending with 
the fire-brands of hell. 

The precept and example of the King of saints 
shall ever be my pattern in the militant state. ^ Love 
your enemies," says the none-such Teacher ; and ' let 
me heal his ear, that lost it while leading on the unhal- 
lowed crowd to apprehend me as a thief,' says the di- 
vine Redeemer. These are lessons worthy of a God 
to give, and worthy of all the sons of God to imitate. 
The military hero, under the eye and by the command 
of his prince, scales walls, takes cities, runs in the 
face of danger, and defies death itself; and so the 
Christian hero prompted by the presence and the pre- 
cept of heaven, should study to conquer self, and all 
is won. " Love the brotherhood," says an apostle ; I 
hear all the saints add Amen, for u we know that we 
are passed from death to life, because we love the 
brethren." But «• love your enemies" (I feel corrupt 
nature reluctant!) is the J say of the great Apostle 
and High Priest of our profession ; and to do so 
would prove, not only that we are passed from death 
to life, but that grace is very lively. 

It is i shame for me to take so far amiss, or dwell 
so much on, what a fellow-creature, who is on the 
same level, or only a little superior to me, has done to 
me, and yet never reflect on my offence against God, 
who is infinitely exalted above me, beyond conception 
and thought. If I am injured, the law is broken ; if 
the law is broken, God is dishonoured ; and that God*. 
i3 dishonoured, and not that I am injured, should be 
the cause of my sorrow, and the burden of my soul. 
He cannot greatly offend against me, though he should 
spue out his bitterest malice; for it matters not, 
though the potsherds of the earth, while striving 
with the potsherds of the earth, should go all to 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 281 

shivers ; but I shall greatly offend against God, who 
is over all, blessed for ever, if I render evil for evil, 
since he has expressly forbidden it. 

How often have I wasted precious time, by revol- 
ving in my mind all the aggravations of my injurious 
treatment, forgetful that every day I have offended 
God in a much greater degree ! forgetful, also, that 
I have daily received from him such tender mer- 
cies as might make me forget all the mischief that 
my fellow-creatures could do to me. That mal- 
ice must owe its birth to hell, that could wish the ha- 
ted persons condemned to everlasting flames ; and I 
aver, that there is not a saint on the foot-stool, but can 
wish his greatest enemy a share in the common salva- 
tion, and a mansion in the highest heavens. How 
mean, how inconsistent, then, to wish him a kingdom 
and a crown, and yet that he may have a thorn in his 
foot (trouble in person, family, character, or estate) 
while travelling thither. 

** Follow peace with all men," enemies not except- 
ed. Though some individuals break this command 
with respect to me, yet I am not less bound to observe 
it towards them. Moreover, why should I, who have 
peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
peace of conscience, and shall shortly enter into an 
eternity of peace, have an uproar of war kindled in 
all the powers of my soul, by the impotent bravadoes 
of a worm ? Suppose there is nothing engaging, no- 
thing amiable about my opponent, that can make me 
love him for his own sake, yet I am to love him for 
God's sake, because by God commanded so to do. 
?• God is love ;" this the whole creation knows, while 
his sun shines on the evil and the good, and his rain 
falls on the just and the unjust ; and «* he that dwell- 
eth in love, dwelleth in God." Shall any temptation, 
24* 



282 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

shall any unjust usage, provoke me from my high 
abode to sit down on the dunghill of anger and re- 
venge ? Whenever I cease to dwell in love, and to be 
all love to friends and foes (no matter how they have 
used me) then I cease to dwell in God. And this is 
as if a royal personage should descend from his 
throne, and wade to his arm-pits in a puddle to pursue 
a fly, or kill a frog. With what a strange appearance 
would he again ascend his throne 1 And how shall I 
return from a worse situation to my divine dwelling 
place ? 

Again, have I never received any favours or bene- 
fits from him ? or, have there never been acts of friend- 
ship between us ? Why, then, is all this forgot in the 
heat of my wrath ? It should be my study, and would 
be my glory, never to forget a kindness, never to re- 
member an injury. This may be called a mean spirit 
by the world, but I am sure it is the spirit of Christi- 
anity. Moreover, can I suppose myself so perfect, 
as to receive so much ill usage, and return none ? 
Then, if I have said or done aught amiss in the excess 
of my passion, as no doubt I have, should not I make 
some allowance for this in the folly of my friends ? 
especially if incendaries come between, who always 
represent things in the worst light. 

I may be apt to think, that, had my haters the least 
appearance of the grace of God about them, I could 
then frankly forgive them. But, would not this be the 
cruelty of a fiend ? If they have no interest in God, 
are they not doubly the objects of my most tender 
compassion ? If a man has lost a hand, will I pity 
him ? but if he has lost eyes, legs, and arms, will I 
storm in cruel rage against him ? In offending breth- 
ren, I must pity the error, and forgive them ; but, in 
offending sinners, I must commiserate their very state, 
and pray for them. And, indeed, this would bt the 
only way to -render love for hatred, and good for evil. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 283 

Henceforth, therefore, I will carry my bitterest ene- 
mies to the throne of grace, and implore the best of 
blessings on my most flagitious foes. 

If a man uses me rudely or injuriously in the rage 
of a fever, I fee! nothing for my own maltreatment, 
but a real concern for my frantic friend, and hope the 
crisis of the fever will restore him to the use of his 
reason ; or, if another person would gnaw his own 
flesh to do me a mischief all the year round, then, 
with deeper compassion, I consider my unhappy ac- 
quaintance as a confirmed lunatic, or miserable bed- 
lamite. Even so I should look on the man that uses 
me ill in a fit of passion- as in a mental delirium, and 
pity him ; and on him that maltreats me from month 
to month, and from year to year, as a mental lunatic, 
and commiserate his mournful situation from the bot- 
tom of my soul. 

If I will not forgive a fellow-creature a hundred 
pence (about poor three pounds !) how can I daily 
plead with heaven to be forgiven my ten thousand tal- 
ents (twenty-two millions sterling!) and yet, unless I 
am daily favoured with richer pardons than the remis- 
sion of any given sum, I am undone for ever. 

As it is noble to prevent the needy with our charity, 
and not wait till importuned, so it is truly noble to for- 
give injuries, though neither desired to do it, nor 
thanked for it. When an offending person confesses 
his fault, and begs pardon, it is praise-worthy to par- 
don, and yet we can do no less, because we are victo- 
rious over him in his submission But it is much more 
noble, from a sense of duty, to forgive stubborn offen- 
ders, because then we obtain a victory over ourselves, 
which is the best of all conquests. 

To indulge rancour and revenge may gratify my un- 
renewed part, but cannot benefit my better part here 
or hereafter ; but to forgive and forget enemies and in- 



284 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

juries, will be no grief of mind to me when I arrive at 
the heavenly state, mingle among saints and angels, 
and dwell in the presence of God. 

April 6, 1777. 

Alas I my meditation is not finished till my antago- 
nist is no more ! O how hw years bring us to our latter 
end ! and why should we keep our anger forever, and 
our contentions while w T e live ? It is comfort to me, 
that some years ago we were reconciled : and O how 
feeble is the wrath of a mortal, who cannot defend 
himself from a moment's sickness ! Now he is taken 
up with the great concerns of the world of spirits, 
and that for eternity ; and in a little I shall also arrive 
at my fixed state, and be taken up with eternal things. 
O that the precious time, and precious thoughts, 
which I employed on what I accounted ill usage, had 
been spent in heavenly meditations ! then I had 
brought meat out of the eater, and sweetness out of 
the strong. May this be a caveat to me in all time 
coming, that whatever maltreatment I may get from a 
fellow-creature, quite to overlook it, and. to acknow- 
ledge heaven in all, and to meditate on heaven for all. 
Thus shall I behave like a child of God, and a candi- 
date for glory. C how foolish is it to fear a worm or 
a grasshopper, as if the Most High did not rule over all 
the children of men ! 

To live in view of eternity would make me think 
little of the love or the hatred, the affection or affronts, 
of my fellow-creatures, since in a little they shall go 
from me or I irom them, into the invisible world; 
and I cannot tell how soon. 



MEDITATION CXXVII. 

WHIT SEND AW 

May 28, 1773. 
From every season of the year, from every period 
of time* natural or artificial, we may learn something. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 285 

At this time, then, the landed proprietors set the whole 
country in motion, and there is a mighty stir to answer 
their demands. Some wealthy farmers care not a 
farthing for this critical day, because they are prepared 
for it ; others have plenty both of money and chattels, 
but their money lies so scattered in the country, that 
they cannot command one shilling, and they cannot 
convert their stock into cash, so that for the time their 
credit is like to break, notwithstanding all their plenty. 
But the poor farmer finds term-day oveitake him, and 
he knows not what to do, or where to turn. Weil, let 
this remind the landlord and the tenant, that a day of 
accounts will come, when the lease of life expires, 
and the great Proprietor of heaven and earth will reck- 
on with them for all they have enjoyed. Some saints 
are so clear respecting their interest in Christ, so rich in 
his imputed righteousness, so full of heavenly assu- 
rance, that they rather rejoice than tremble at the day of 
judgment ; others, though in a gracious state, are so 
encumbered with' worldly cares, are so beclouded with 
desponding thoughts, that they cannot collect their ev- 
idences for the better country, and are afraid that, 
when they stand in the judgment, they shall be con- 
demned. But the sinner, who is poor towards God, 
and has nothing provided for eternity, not the least ev- 
idence for heaven, well may tremble and be horribly 
afraid for the judgment. 

Again, every other creditor will be starved off, and 
delayed for a time, that the landlord be not disap- 
pointed of his rents. O that we were thus wise in 
spiritual things ! first to have matters between God 
and our souls on a comfortable footing, and then all 
other things shall run in a pleasant channel. 

Being to clear with the landlord, occasions an uni- 
versal clearance with one another. Even so in the 
day of judgment, not only the sins committed direct- 



286 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

ly against God, but injuries against one another where- 
by he also is offended, shall be condemned in his 
presence. 

The thoughtless and improvident tenant makes no 
diligence till the very term-day comes, and then what 
running from person to person, to borrow but for a 
few days ! but in vain* since the same term has over- 
taken them all, as well as him. Even so the foolish 
virgins, in that awful day, will find no oil to buy, but 
must be shut out from the heavenly marriage, for ever 
to dwell in darkness and despair. 

Again, some may think themselves richly provided 
for this day, and able to answer all their landlord's de- 
mands, but how are they confounded to find their 
bank-bills refused, as being forged or insufficient, or 
their cash cast back as being foreign, counterfeit, or 
too light. Just so, alas ! many presumptuous hypo- 
crites will find all their feigned righteousness reject- 
ted ; proud legalists will find their good works, when 
weighed, miserably wanting ; and all who depend on 
any thing but the perfect righteousness of Jesus, will 
find themselves eternally lost. 

Again, whether we look to town or country, we will 
find the confusion universal ; people removing from 
place to place, houses left without inhabitant, and 
some families thown out, that can scarce find a house 
to go to ; masters changing servants, and for a few 
days with scarce a servant to attend them ; servants 
going to new masters, and some thrown altogether 
out of a place ; and even young infants, that know 
not whither they are going, are subjects of the gene- 
ral confusion. May not this remind us all, whether 
masters or servants, house-holders or lodgers, land- 
lords or tenants, that we must all soon, how soon we 
cannot tell, remove from this to the invisible world ? 
Wo to the inhabitant, whether he dwell in a palace 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. £87 

or in a cottage, who must quit his clay tabernacle, 
without any hopes of being admitted into the man- 
sions of glory ? Wo to the man who has all his life 
time been the servant of sin, and shall find, at the 
awful hour of death, that eternal death shall be all 
the wages of his service ! The man of gray hairs, 
who is half-dead to jthis world, and the infant of a 
span long, who knows nothing of a world to come, 
must go together to the silent grave. 

Would he not be an arrant fool, who, though warn- 
ed away from his farm, and from his house, should 
let the period expire, without providing himself in 
another, and thus be cast out into the open fields at 
last ? Such examples are rare, but instances of a 
more consummate folly are fearfully abundant, while 
numbers, who know that they must very soon drop 
this mortal frame, and quit with all below, give them- 
selves no concern, and take no thought how or where 
they shall dwell through an endless eternity. 

Though a time of removal be expected, and pro- 
vided for too, yet when it comes, there is always some 
unexpected hurry and confusion along with it. Just 
so, though we expect death ourselves, or on some of 
our family, yet we may expect to be surprised at last, 
and taken at unawares ; therefore it will be our wis- 
dom not to delay the great work of making our call- 
ing and election sure, till sickness enfeeble every 
nerve, and death sit down on our eye-lids. 

The poor farmer, who tugs and sweats to gather 
his master's rent, thinks such gentlemen are the only 
happy persons on the face of the earth ; not consider- 
ing that many men of fortune find it difficult to keep 
their incomes and expenses on an equal balance ; 
that others are still more extravagant than opulent ; 
and that a third sort, the worst of all, spend their es- 
tates to ruin their souls. It is rare to find ia the world 



288 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

those that can use it, and not abuse themselves or it ; 
therefore a golden mediocrity has been the wish of all 
wise men in ail ages. 

At this time squie monied men have it in their 
power by helping a poor friend, or an indigent neigh- 
bour, to win a blessing to themselves, and lose no- 
thing at the latter end. What blessings, then, should 
an elect world ascribe to Jesus, that best, that none- 
such friend, who for them answers all the demands of 
law and justice, and has got their full, their final dis- 
charge at the court of heaven, from his Almighty Fa- 
ther's hand, so that they have no claims, no condem- 
nation to fear, either in this world, or in that to come ! 

Lastly, when those who had to remove, are snugly 
accommodated in their new houses ; when masters 
have got home their servants, and servants got to 
their places ; when debtors have cleared with their 
creditors, and farmers got their landlord's discharge ; 
then what a sweet calm, serenity, and joy succeed to 
the late tumult of thought and whirlwind of anxiety ! 
Even so, when the saints arrive at the mansions of 
glory, are acquitted by the Judge of all the earth, and 
finally discharged from sin and death, then shall they 
forget their afflictions as the waters that flow away, 
then joy shall crown their heads, and songs shall 
fill their mouth, and they shall be satisfied with their 
own felicity, exult in his salvation, and be ravished 
with his goodness for ever. 



MEDITATION CXXVIII. 

AGAINST MURMURING AT MISFORTUNES. 

May 4, 1776. 

If Providence is pleased to crush my comforts of 

any kind, shall I make my situation less comfortable 

by complaining? If God chastises me as a son, shall 

I make myself an enemy, by rebelling against the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 283 

discipline of my Father's house? If heaven sends 
affliction on me, shall I make the sad addition of sin 
to my sorrow, by quarrelling at my sufferings ? If I 
am not so happy as I would choose to be, I should 
still study to be holy, humble, and content, and I 
shall never be very miserable. It is only in the thinga 
of time that I am disappointed; and what else can I 
expect, where infinite wisdom has pronounced all to 
be vanity and vexation of spirit ? He that lets God 
go for the creature, may well expect storms and tem- 
pests to blow around him. He that promises to him- 
self happiness in any thing under the sun, shall every 
day of his life have one lesson or other to rectify his 
mistake. He that seeks not God in all things, and 
prefers not God above all things, and is not satisfied 
with God in the room of all things, may expect vexa- 
tion in every thing, and shall be happy in nothing. — 
To fathers of our flesh we have given obedience, even 
when their own pleasure was the rule of their con- 
duct ; and shall we be less submissive to the Father 
of our spirits, when our profit is always in his heaven- 
ly plan ? In our choice of good things, in our re- 
quests for blessings, we may be mistaken, but in his 
bounty he cannot err, whether he gives much or little, 
this or that, any thing or nothing. Surely, I can 
never think or say that my wisdom could have made 
the world, or myself; how, then, can I think that my 
wisdom could rule the world or myself? That can- 
not be a misfortune that makes me wiser, or a cross 
that makes me better, or a loss that makes me richer 
in heaven, or a disappointment which makes me quit 
with every creature, and cleave to God alone. If a 
burden is tied on my back, which 1 must carry to 
such a place, the more I fling it from, me, it falls 
down with the greater weight, and instead of getting 
free of it, it becomes a greater burden still ; but, if I 
2.5 



290 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

go on calmly, my burden grows gradually lighter, by 
my patience and submission, till I get quit of it at 
last altogether. 

Not stupid, but submissive, not dejected, but re- 
signed, not combatting the means, nor quarrelling 
with the instrument, but confessing the first cause, 
and adoring the sovereignty of heaven, is my present 
duty, and will be my peace both now and in time to 
come. 

There is not an angel of God, nor a saint in glory, 
but approves of the whole conduct of Providence ; 
and therefore, though so imperfect in comparison of 
angels and glorified saints, yet, through grace, I 
would wish to say, " Thy will be done on earth, as it is 
in heaven ;" and, to all that thou hast done, art doing, 
and wilt do concerning me, " Amen." 



MEDITATION CXXIX. 

▲ CAVEAT AGAINST EXCESS OF JOY IN TROSPECT OF ANY 
CREATED GOOD. 

July 24, 1776. 
Such is the corruption of human nature, even in 
the best, that while we receive the good things of 
this life, we forget the Giver, and idolize the gift. — 
On the one hand, we are to think highly of every 
blessing, who deserve to have our very blessings 
cursed ; and we ought to receive with humble grati- 
tude, every favour, who have forfeited all ; but, on 
the other hand, we are always to bear in our mind 
these few following reflections, which will help us to 
rejoice with moderation. 

1. Created good is always greater in the prospect 
than in the possession ; while the heavenly bliss, like 
Solomon's glory and wisdom, appears still the greater 
the nearer it is approached. 

2. No worldly felicity can enrich the soul ; and 
many a time the happiest men, with respect to the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 291 

world, have the greatest leanness in their soul, and, 
as their outward man flourishes, their inward man 
decays. 

3. Nothing that we receive in the world can keep 
us a moment longer in it ; but many things which we 
may possess, as riches, and relations, make us both 
unwilling and unfit to leave the world. 

4. There is always a want in the most perfect, and 
a thorn in the most pleasant of earthly enjoyments. 

5. Have we a good name ? Lying tongues may 
ruin it. — Have we riches ? These, however well 
secured (mind this) may make themselves wings as 
eagles, and fly away. — Have we relations, beloved, 
deserving, and endearing ? Death may deprive us of 
them all, and leave us to mourn alone. — Have we 
children ? They may die young, and set our hearts 
a bleeding ; or they may live long, and by their irreli- 
gious life break our very hearts, when we are bowed 
down with years. 

6. He makes a poor exchange, who takes the 
creature for God, or gives God less room in his mind, 
in his meditations, in his affections, that his enjoy- 
ments may have the more. 

7. Tranquility of mind, and a smiling conscience, 
are the gift of heaven ; and no enjoyment can bestow 
them, or compensate the loss when gone. 

8. Carnality will spring up at every corner, come 
in with every good thing, and, like Satan among the 
sons of God, intrude itself amidst ail the graces of 
the Spirit ; so that we have need to be always on our 
guard. 

9. The brevity and uncertainty of human life, as 
it should dry the tears of the mourner, so it should 
moderate the joys of all the children of men. 

10. According to the talents put into our hand, 
according to the gifts of heaven to us, so must we 



292 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

account to the sovereign Judge of all ; and our 
aptness to misgive in every thing, should keep us 
humble at all times, and in all places. 

11. Since infinite wisdom has seen meet to bestow 
very little created good, or earthly felicity, on the 
greater part of his people, this should teach us to 
possess the good things of this life with fear, and to 
rejoice in them with trembling. 

12. To be dispossessed of our possessions, to lose 
our relations, to be dismissed from our posts and em- 
ployments, and to be bereft of all our enjoyments, is 
more galling and irksome, than never to have had 
possession, relation, post, or employment. 

13. Created good things, we can neither carry 
with us to another world, draw comfort from in the 
hour of death, nor secure to our heirs in this world, 
when w T e are no more ; therefore it is only our vitia- 
ted imagination that pictures out such scenes of plea- 
sure in a thing of nought. 

14. Confidence in the creature too often accom- 
panies the possession of the Creator: yet this is the 
cut-worm at the root of all our enjoyments ; for it is 
in God, the giver of all, that all our confidence should 
rest. 

15. The favour of God is our best inheritance, the 
providence of God is our richest possession ; the one 
can make us happy, in spite of ail misfortunes, while 
we live, and the other can attend our posterity, when 
we are no more. 

16. Finally, our wisdom is to seek to enjoy God in 
all things, to see him in all things, and in all things to 
glorify him ; to prefer him above all things, and to be 
fully satisfied with him alone, in the room of all things : 
relations, riches, good name, peace, prosperity, health) 
and life, or whatever we enjoy below. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 293 X 



MED1TATIOIS 1 CXXX. 

THE JOY OF SALVATION. 

Aug. 25, 1776. 
What must the joy of the benighted traveller be, 
that has lost his way, and walks every step in terror 
of his life, through the roaring of lions, and yells of 
wild beasts around him, when the light of the morning 
scatters his fears, and the rising sun sends the beasts 
of prey again to their dens ? What must the joy of 
the mariner be, that has sustained a terrible tempest, 
while the heavens above opened in thunder and light- 
ning, and the ocean raged around in high swelling 
surges, till his vessel was a very wreck, and he ex- 
pected to be buried in every returning billow, whea 
at once the storm is changed into a calm, his native 
country appears in sight, and he arrives safe at his 
desired harbour ? What must the joy of that person 
be, who banished into cruel exile, has a long time 
dwelt with savages, or beasts of prey, when recalled 
by a royal edict, and invited to dwell among his 
brethren, and in his father's house ? What must the 
joy of an indigent man be, who, oppressed with po- 
verty, could never call aiight his own, when, he finds 
a treasure so rich, so immense, that thenceforth he 
shall be accounted the most opulent man in the coun- 
try ? What must the joy of the rebel be, who, being 
outlawed, and a price set upon his head, skulked in 
continual fear, and trembled at every breath of wind, 
when the royal pardon gives him his life, restores him 
to favour, and admits him to his sovereign's presence? 
What must the joy of the valiant soldier be, who, 
having stood long in the field of battle, engaged troop 
after troop, till faint and fatigued almost to death, yet 
conquers all his foes at last, clears the field, and re- 
turns in safety to the spoil ? What must the joy of 
25* 



294 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

that man be, who has been chained to strife and con- 
tention for many years, when blessed with peace 
around, peace in his own house, and peace in his own 
mind? What must the joy of those affectionate pa- 
rents be, whose only son is delivered from the jaws 
of death ? of that loving husband, whose amiable wife 
is as it were restored to him from the dead ? What must 
the joy of the prisoner be, who has long been con- 
fined to a loathsome dungeon, a stranger to the light 
of day, the sweets of society, and the visits of his 
friends, when set at perfect liberty, to walk in the 
light, and enjoy himself with his friends ? What must 
the joy of the stranger be, who has walked whole 
days over burning mountains, around terrible craters 
of thundering volcanoes, trembling, lest he sink amidst 
the latent flames, or perish by some sudden eruption, 
when he finds himself safe on the fragrant plain, and 
charmed with the vineyards that spread around him ? 
What must the joy of the bankrupt be, whose gene- 
rous friend pays all his debts, brings him out of jail, 
and allows him a fund that he shall never want again ? 
What must the joy of the infirm, bedridden patient 
be, who has long turned his face from the world, and 
toward the wall, beheld the grave as his solitary lodg- 
ing, and taken his farewell of the children of men, 
when raised from his bed of languishing, his health 
recovered, and his youth renewed as the eagle's? — 
What must the joy of the criminal be, who, guilty of 
some atrocious crime, has been condemned to lose 
his life, and, on the appointed day, amidst assembled 
thousands, is led forth to execution ; when lo ! a post, 
swift as the wings of the wind, arrives with a royal 
pardon, that swells his breast with transport and sur- 
prise, and saves him from death ? What must the joy 
be of persons beseiged, and so straitened, and re- 
duced to famine, that they are compelled almost to 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 295 

eat the flesh of one another, or their own, when the 
seige is raised, and plenty pours in at every g*te ? — 
What must the joy be of one journeying over burning 
sands, scorched with the sun, and parching with ra- 
ging thirst, till like to fall down dead, when a cyrstal 
fountain or flowing stream appears before him ? What 
must the joy of a beggar be, when admitted heir to a 
wealthy prince? What must the joy of a slave be, 
who, though loaded with chains, has often felt the 
rod of correction, when he sees his fetters knocked 
off, his vile raiment taken away, himself clothed in 
scarlet, a crown put on his head, a sceptre in his 
hand, and himself proclaimed a king ? Such, and 
much more, is the joy of salvation, where sinners are 
made saints, worms rise into angels, and men are 
made like unto God. 



MEDITATION CXXXI. 

ON VISITS. 

Sept. 5, 1776. 

To make and return visits is both friendly and 
fashionable ; but it is sad, that too often, when we 
commence the visitant, we drop the Christian. How 
melancholy that it cannot be known whether we be 
Turks or Christians, but by our posture at table! — 
Where the entertainment is remarkable for nothing 
but noise and nonsense, loud peals of laughter, puns, 
and buffoonery, it is a poor welcome we give to our 
guests, and a shameful return we make to our host, 
if at one table we find profanity, at another folly, he 
that visits least will suffer least. A whole day spent 
in mirth, and not one word in any discourse about re- 
ligion, and not one thought of God in any heart, is an 
awful blank, and a sad waste of time. 

Though at a friendly feast, or social entertainment, 
we do not meet to preach, yet we should always meet 



296 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

to improve one another in useful knowledge ; and a 
serious " word fitly spoken" might shine " like apples 
of gold in pictures of silver." Such a conduct might, 
at some times, though not often, produce the laugh 
against us; but the approbation of heaven, and the 
testimony of a good conscience, will easily balance 
this. If our company be such, that we can get no- 
thing serious introduced, let us rejoice that they can- 
not prevent our ejaculations to God, and, in our medi- 
tation, let us now and then retire to converse above. 

In how many houses, at how many tables, may 
Ichabod be written, Religion is not here ; the glory 
is departed ! Whatever table our Saviour, when on 
earth, sat at, he was sure to enrich it with some hea- 
venly dishes, and fed his audience with sacred truth ; 
so it should be our constant endeavour never to come 
away the worse of any company, but the better ; ne- 
ver to leave any company the worse of us, but the 
better. Why should not our grace, as well as the im- 
piety of others, like the rich perfume, bewray itself, 
whether we will or will not ? Every where, and every 
time, at home or abroad, whether we eat or drink, re- 
ceive or return visits, and in every company, we should 
do all to the glory of God ; who gives us all that we 
enjoy below, and will at last make us sit down at the 
marriage-supper of the Lamb, where the converse 
shall enlarge, delight, and ravish evermore ! 



MEDITATION CXXXII. 

THE ANGUISH OF DAMNATION. 

Oct. 15, 1776. 
How must their breasts beat, and hearts throb, 
who are cast into a den of lions, while the savage 
monsters tear off their flesh, and break their bones in 
pieces ! How bitter must the cry of Egypt have been 
in that memorable night, when, in every house, the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 297 

first-born of man and beast lay breathless, and the 
doleful lamentation was echoed from border to bor- 
der, and from one end of the land to the other ! What 
must the consternation of Sodom's inhabitants have 
been, when fire and brimstone was rained from those 
heavens that used to send down refreshful showers, 
and where fields of blue ether delighted the eye ! 
How great must the astonishment have been of the 
surviving Assyrians and their king, when in the morn- 
ing they found their mighty army only a multitude of 
dead corpses ! What must the sorrow of that man 
be, who, falling under his sovereign's displeasure, is 
banished from his nearest connexions, and dearest 
friends, into perpetual solitude, or the society of mon- 
sters and savages ! What must the pangs of those 
parents' hearts be, while their tender offspring are 
shrieking, groaning, dying, by cruel deaths, under the 
bloody ruffians ! What must the sister, the mother, 
the wife, feel on the shore, while the ship that carries 
the brother, the son, the husband, dashes on the rocks 
below, and they perish, as it were, in their presence ! 
What must the horror of the devoted wretch be, who 
stands and sees the fire kindling which is to consume 
him to ashes ! What must the terror of a city taken 
by storm be, when, in every street, young and old, 
man and woman, perish by the sword, and the air is 
filled with screaming, lamentation, and groans! What 
must the amazement of that devoted village be, while 
from the burning mountain the dreadful lava rolls ir- 
resistably down, and covers and consumes whatever 
stands in its way ! What paleness of countenance, 
what trembling of limbs, what faintness of heart must 
attend the carnage of a field of battle, by an inexora- 
ble, but victorious foe ! What must the inhabitants 
of a city feel, when awakened at midnight with the 
sound of fire in every quarter, when all they have 



298 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR? 

blazes before them, and some of their dearest friends 
roar for help, but perish in the flames, while the con- 
flagration is succeeded by a terrible earthquake that 
shakes the world to its foundation, so that the ground 
cleaves asunder, swallows up inhabitants and city, 
and closes her mouth, that they are seen no more ! 
Such, and ten thousand times worse, is the anguish 
of damnation, when all the Christless multitude shall 
be punished with everlasting destruction from the 
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his 
power ! 



MEDITATION CXXXIII. 

SOVEREIGNTY. 

March 23, 1777. 

To God who rules in heaven and earth, belongs a 
supreme power, and undisputed sovereignty over men 
and angels. He who is the Creator and Preserver of 
all, may certainly dispose of all as he pleases. And 
because we have a near and dear interest in some 
things, it can never supersede God's better right both 
to them and us. He bestows blessings on us, at that 
we do not quarrel ; but he removes them, and at this 
we murmur ; yet his right to take is the same as to 
give. We may smart, but we can never suffer injus- 
tice under his hand. Much of our pain, and most of 
our disappointments in the world, rise from our cir- 
cumscribed views of heavenly sovereignty. We think 
that heaven should follow that plan of government 
that pleases us best. And yet he gives not account of 
any of his matters, and still he does all things well. 

Moses begins to deliver his brethren, and smites an 
Egyptian; yet sovereignty sends him forty years to a 
strange country, and adds forty years heavy bondage 
to the Israelites. The kindness of God sends Joseph 
into Egypt, to preserve his Father's family alive ; yet 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 299 

sovereignty sends him in such a way, that old Jacob 
seems to go mourning to the grave, and he that had 
been favoured with the most heavenly dreams, dreams 
not a word all this time of his beloved son. Jephthah 
conquers his foes, Cut providence meets him with a 
sharp trial in his only daughter, who, at best, must 
never be married. The favour of heaven enriches 
Job, but sovereignty permits Satan to spoil him of all. 
David is anointed king, but ere he comes to the throne, 
he is sometimes driven almost to despair of his life. 
The Jews have liberty to rebuild their temple, and yet, 
through the malice of their foes, it is retarded a long 
time. John, our Saviours forerunner, after baptising 
thousands, loses his head through the malice of a wo- 
man. Josiah, one of the best kings, is slain in battle 
in the prime of his life. Zechariah is stoned to death 
for reproving, in God's name, the transgression of his 
law. And the apostles, who were the salt of the 
world, were hungry, thirsty, naked, buffetted, without 
habitation, made as the filth of the world, and the orT- 
scouring of all things ! And all these things were or- 
dered by divine sovereignty. 

We allow that death must separate friends some 
time, but a sovereignty will take from one parent, the 
child of a span long, from another the weaned child, 
from a third a pretty boy, from another the promising 
youth, and from another the comfort of his hoary hairs. 
Into one family death never enters, but it flourishes 
up to manhood, and wholly survives the aged parents ; 
into another, death thrusts his iron hand, and carries 
one away ; from a third, he snatches a complete half 
of the dear little ones ; and of a fourth he takes them 
all but one ; while from another he takes one and all. 
But to give and take health and wealth, friends and 
relations, blessings and mercies, at his own time, and 
in his own way, is a part of the plan of God's gov- 



300 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

ernment of the world. Therefore, we should always 
expect to be deprived of what we possess, in a mo- 
ment, or to be presented with blessings suddenly, as 
streams of water in the south. — Could we commit all 
we have, all we are, and all we wish, into his sove- 
reign hand, to do with them as he pleases, our con- 
cerns should be as secure, and our souls much more 
tranquil. 

If in sovereignty God has passed by some, and 
chosen me to a crown and kingdom, which in a few 
years I shall be possessed of forever, what though he 
pass by me, and bestow on those the comforts of this 
life, which in a few years they must be dispossessed of 
for ever ? Though thy providence should both perplex 
and pain me, I will never complain. I may sin in my 
desires, but thou wilt not injure me in thy determina- 
tion. It shall please me that thou dost all thy pleasure, 
and my will shall be swallowed up of thine. I have 
forfeited every felicity ; how, then, can I expect to be- 
gin heaven on earth ? The prospect of heaven may 
make me triumph over every trouble, every trial, every 
disappointment in time. In a little I shall be so hap- 
py, that I shall almost forget that ever I had less 
felicity. Such is my confidence in thy wisdom, 
such my dependence on thy powerful arm, such 
my expectation from thy fatherly kindness, that I 
acquiesce in all thou doest, and desire to be whol- 
ly at thy disposal, in all I am, in all I have, in all 1 
desire. What I know not now, why at such and such 
a time I lose a friend, why I meet with such and 
such a disappointment, why such and such a cross is 
laid on me, I shall know hereafter, one time or other ; 
or I shall know one time or other that it was good for 
me that I have been afflicted ; and when time is no 
more, I shall know that he hath done all things well. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 301 



MEDITATION CXXXIV. 

THE VICTORY OF FAITH. 

Sept. 30, 1777. ^ 
<4 To him that believeth, all things are possible, 55 
said he who cannot lie. Why then, have I so many 
fears about many things? Would I not cheerfully 
commit the lot of my friends to the providence of God ? 
Why, then, not commit the hearts of my nearest and 
dearest relations to the grace of God ? Cannot he 
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, 
shine into their hearts, to give the light of the know- 
ledge of his own glory in the face of Jesus ? Is God 
more niggardly of the graces of his spirit, than of the 
good things of his providence ? Does he present with 
his common kindness the creatures he has made, and 
cannot he present with his special grace the souls he 
has created ? To him on the throne of his power 
every creature may lookup far protection and supply ; 
but to him on the throne of his grace, we may come 
with boldness, for grace, the best of blessings, to our- 
selves, our friends, our acquaintance, to our enemies, 
to all. To act strong faith in the most important mat- 
ters, glorifies God most ; and the salvation of mine 
own soul, and the souls of my dear friends, is of all 
matters the most important. While I seek the sal- 
vation of my friends, I seek the glory of God, for in 
their salvation he is glorified. Then, with all the 
eagerness of desire, with all the importunity of a 
poor supplicant, with- all the boldness of faith, I plead, 
I wrestle, I implore, that the souls of these my dear 
friends may believe in the Saviour who came to seek 
and to save the lost. 



26 



j 



302 SOLITUDE SWEETENED I OR, 



MEDITATION CXXXV. 

THE NECESSITY OF AFFLICTIONS WHILE WE LIVE."' 

Aug. 29, 1778. 

This very subject, twenty years ago,* has employ- 
ed my pen ; and, whether I write or not, I expect af- 
flictions may put on different appearances, according 
to the different periods of our life, but they will attend 
us as close as the shadow does the body. As long as 
I dwell in Mesech, I may expect wars ; as long as I 
attend on sin and vanity, vexation and trouble will at- 
tend me. As I cannot be perfect in holiness wiiile out 
of heaven, so I cannot be perfect in happiness while 
absent from God. I smart in my sufferings, I feel in 
my afflictions ; but that I should sin before I suffer, 
offend before I am afflicted, should make my inmost 
soul to smart. I have reason to fear that I am a very 
stubborn son, that I need so much correction ; but it 
affords me comfort that I am not disowned as a bas- 
tard, but endure chastisement as a son. He that has 
no long journey before him, but sits still in his own 
house, may escape the tempest, and hide himself from 
the storm ; but he that sets out for another country 
cannot expect always to walk on the flow r ery cham- 
paign, or in the pleasant sunshine, but shall find a riv- 
er to cross, and a mountain to climb ; shall have dark- 
ness around him, and thunders rearing above him, the 
tempest attending his steps, and the storm dashing up- 
on him ; and perhaps enemies waylaying him : So it 
is with the traveller heavenward, for through much af- 
fliction, and many tribulations, we shall enter into the 
kingdom. 

Again, affliction is as necessary for the health of the 
soul, as exercise for the health of the body. — Lay a 

* See Meditation XXXIX. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 303 

man down upon his bed, and let him never lift his 
head but to eat and to drink, how soon would he 
become good for nothing, yea, and lose his own 
health ? Just so, let the saint have no afflictions, 
and his graces shall soon grow languid, and his 
soul sick and feeble ; but affliction raises us from our 
sloth, makes us run to God, call in the divine assis- 
tance, see the vanity of the creature, and long for the 
heavenly state. '< The wicked have no changes;" 
well, is their heart filled with glowing gratitude to the 
God of their mercies ? No, but strange to tell, " there- 
fore they fear not God \" On the other hand, the saints 
are afflicted, and they cleave to God, and keep his sta- 
tutes better than before. 

Corruption is so interwoven with our frame, that in 
every station, and toward every relation, we may of- 
fend ; but providence has so ordered it, that in every 
station, and from every relation, afflictions of one kind 
or other will come ; and if they correct us where w T e 
err, and mortify our corruption, we ought to welcome 
them. 

The school of the cross is the school of light, and 
there must all the children of God be taught in their 
non-age, to fit them for the perfect state of glory. An 
ignorant person that sees the mariner heaving such a 
weight of ballast aboard his ship, would suppose he in- 
tended to sink her at sea ; just so, whatever the world 
may think, the troubles and trials of the saints shall 
never sink them, but keep them from being overset by 
every squall, that they may arrive with safety at the 
haven of rest, having their anchor fixed within the 
vail. 



MEDITATION CXXXVI. 

gibeon making peace with israel. 

Nop. 8, 1779. 
When Israel came out of Egypt to take possession 



304 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

of the promised land, every thing about them was 
marvellous and instructive. They approached the 
land of promise in the time of its greatest plenty, to 
wit, in harvest, but at a time when Jordan seemed to 
forbid their entrance, by overflowing all his banks. 
But the same power that divided the Red Sea when 
they came out of Egypt, divides Jordan that they 
may enter Canaan. Just so it shall fare with the Is- 
rael of God. Death shall not keep them from their 
Father's house ; and when they enter their heavenly 
inheritance, they shall find all fulness, even an eter- 
nal harvest of glory ! 

The devoted nations might think themselves secure 
from the armies of Israel, while Jordan, bursting over 
his banks, remained such a mighty barrier ; but what 
madness seized them, to combine for battle against a 
people before whom Jordan's rapid stream recoiled 
back, and let them pass over dry shod ! The madness 
is only equalled and exceeded by sinners who defy 
Omnipotence, amidst the^bright displays of his power, 
challenge the Eternal to combat, and run on the thick 
bosses of his buckler. 

When, then, men of such an insignificant city as 
Ai, put three thousand of the conquerors to flight, and 
made them leave thirty-six of their heroes dead be- 
hind them, it might perhaps raise the drooping spirits 
of the Canaanites, and confirm to them that their foes 
were not invincible. But, when they hear that Ai is 
smitten, all the kings on this side Jordan, in the hills 
and valleys, of every people, and from every quarter, 
forget their former animosities, and jarring interests, 
and unite against the common foe ! This has been 
the case in all ages of the world, that the powers of 
the earth have combined against the people of God, 
and in slaying the saints, like Herod and Pilate, have 
been reconciled among themselves. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 505 

But, while this league is forming, Gibeon, a royal 
city, makes peace with Joshua. Here I speak not of 
the cheat with respect to the children of Israel, but 
of the change with respect to the Gibeonifes, full of 
noble lessons and instructions. The inhabitants of a 
^ree, a royal city, are made hewers of wood, and draw- 
ers of water, for the house of God. But the meanest 
employment in the palace of a king is honourable ; 
how much more in the house of trie King of heaven ! 
Better serve in God's house, where there is safety, 
than enjoy the freedom of Gibeon, that ends in de- 
struction. 

Though the men of Gibeon seem chief in the em- 
bassy, yet they forget not three other cities, w T here 
their countrymen dwelt, and all are included in the 
league. So those that seek mercy for themselves at 
the throne of grace, will not forget their friends, their 
acquaintance, their fellow-creatures. In the prayers 
of every Christian, the salvation of souls, and the 
prosperity of Zion, will find a place. 

The same tidings came to Gibeon, and the kings, 
but had different effects ; the kings prepare for war, 
but Gibeon sues for peace. Just so, the gospel sof- 
tens some, and hardens others ; is to one the savour 
of life, to another, the savour of death. 

When the kings hear that Gibeon has made peace 
with Tsrael, they resolve to attack Israel in their new 
allies, perhaps under pretence of breaking the league, 
and deserting the common cause. Thus, when a soul 
leaves the service of sin, the men of the world, and 
the powers of darkness, immediately set upon him, 
and attack Christ in his members. 

Gibeon is no sooner in safety by being at peace 
with Joshua, than she is in danger by the kings aYound 
her. So, when a soul has peace with God, he may 



306 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OH, 

expect persecution from the world, and through much 
tribulation to enter into the kingdom. 

The kings make war against Gibeon, and Gibeon, 
who, a few days before, was among the accursed 
Canaanites, can now send to Joshua, " Slack not thy 
hand from thy servants, come up quickly, and save 
us." This is a surprising change of circumstances, 
but disappears before that change, when he who was 
lately of the family of hell, can send the cry of faith 
to heaven and say to Jehovah, ' Slack not thy hand 
from thy servant, from thy son, but come and save 
me.' 

Joshua and his chosen warriors attend, and deliver 
their new allies, from their formidable foes ; and, in 
destroying the five kings that intended to sack Gibeon, 
a mighty wonder takes place ; the sun-stands still in 
the midst of heaven, and lengthens out the day, to 
complete the glorious work. But, in the work of our 
redemption, the Son of God comes down, and shines 
the Sun of Righteousness in our hemisphere, and will 
shine through all the gospel-day, till our spiritual ene- 
mies are cut off, and we put our feet on the neck of 
all our foes. Then shall wo dwell securely in the 
land of promise, and serve for ever in the house of 
God. 



MEDITATION CXXXVII. 

ON THE AUTHOR'S FIRST USING GLASSES. 

Feb. 27, 1780. 

Now those that look for me look out at the win- 
dows begin to be darkened ; a sure presage that they 
shall shortly be closed in death. It is time now that 
the things of this world should lose their charms, 
when I must look at them through glasses; and high 
time that heavenly things should ravish me, since I 
am so near a future state. 

Though my sight needed no such assistance, I 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 307 

might soon sleep in death. But, by my growing 
blindness, I may see, that I must soon cease to be- 
hold man, with the inhabitants of the earth. When 
the ear grows deaf, the taste dull, the limbs weak, 
the grinders few, and the eyes dim, to be still charmed 
with sensual things, is a case melancholy beyond de- 
scription. The young and strong, since they know 
that they are mortal at every period of life, should 
never be surprised by death; but, for an old man, 
whose senses begin to fail, to be taken at unawares 
by death is consummate folly. 

In proportion as my sight fails, I must hold objects 
more distant from me, in order to collect the rays, 
and view them distinctly ; which may admonish me, 
that the longer I live in the world, the things of time 
should be seen as standing at greater and greater dis- 
tance from me ; that a final separation between us 
must ere long take place ; and that therefore my 
meditations should be directed towards another state. 
— If my eye has not been satisfied with seeing good, 
by this time it may be fatigued with scenes of vanity 
and sin, and has cause to long for nobler prospects. 

Instead of being struck wholly blind by my advance 
into years, I am only deprived of so much sight, to 
teach me to prize and improve what is left, and pre- 
pare me-for losing the remainder in death. While I 
bless heaven for this invention, which makes old age 
so comfortable, I bewail the wastes of my youthful 
period, which I cannot now recal ; but, could I call 
to the youth of every station, and of every land, I 
would say, Read much, read seriously, read for eter- 
nity, while your sight is in its prime. It is affecting 
to carry mine eyes in my head, and my sight in my 
pocket, since if I go abroad without my glasses, I 
cannot read a word in the book of life till I return ; 
but then, let me have my memory stored with the 
word of promise, the words of the Holy One. 



308 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

Such is the vanity of our mind, that we study to 
conceal our decline in life from our fellow-creatures, 
who suffer in the same decline, and perhaps are also 
struggling to conceal it; but, by our use of glasses, 
we proclaim to all, our walking on the margin of the 
grave, and that we are grown old. 

If accustomed to glasses awhile, I may perhaps for- 
get these reflections, and the growing frailty of my 
frame ; but, let me never put the glasses on my nose, 
without minding that death will shortly lay his hand 
on mine eyes, and close them up for ever. O! then, 
as the eye of my body grows daily more dim, may 
the eye of my soul grow daily more bright, and for- 
bearing to look on the things which are seen, which 
are temporal, fix on the things which are not seen, 
and which are eternal. And when the day comes in 
which I shall take the last glance of created things, 
the parting look of all my friends and relations, how- 
ever near and dear, may my soul, in the broad day of 
eternity, in the noon-day beams of glory, lift up her 
unclouded eye, and feast on all the perfections of 
God, on all the beauties of the Lamb, and be like him 
for ever, because she sees him as he is. 

To some old men their sight returns again, but 
their youth is departed for ever ; So is it this day with 
me ; my youth is gone, and I am well advanced in 
life, and in the view of a better life, would bid fare- 
well to this, and welcome old age and death. 

The various periods of life that are marked with 
decline, are but like the stages and mile-stones by tho 
way, that tell me how near I am to my journey's end, 
to my Father's house ; and this of which I now write, 
is one of the last stages. But, no matter how frail 
this body grow, which is to be fashioned like Christ's 
glorious body, and made spiritual, incorruptible, and 
immortal ; no matter how dim this eye grow, thai 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 309 

Is soon to see God in mine own nature, and, thus 
strengthened, gaze with growing wonder, and una- 
bating vigour, on all the glories of the higher house ; 
no matter how these limbs totter, that are to stand 
eternally before the throne. how I triumph in 
the decline of nature, and, amidst the storms of 
winter, sing of eternal summer from the smile .of 
God ! The horrors of the grave, the pangs of my 
last sickness, and the groans of death are all but sha- 
dowy, imaginary evils, compared with those substan- 
tial glories that wait to be revealed on the back of 
them. No matter, though troubles and trials, though 
men and devils, though earth and hell, like an army 
of enraged enemies, attend me to the very gate of 
glory. Omnipotence shall defend me while in the 
enemy's country ; and when admitted into bliss, over 
the wall of heaven, I shall bid defiance to all the 
furies of hell ; and, entering into the joys of my Lord, 
I shall join in the endless hallelujahs of the hosts of 
the redeemed. 

But when the sinner's sight begins to fail, what can 
he expect ? when his eyes are shut in death, what 
can he hope for, but to see all the horrors of the pit, 
all the sad spectacles of damnation, and all the storms 
and tempests of God's wrath, pouring upon him 
through an endless evermore ? 



MEDITATION CXXXVIII. 

ON CASTING OUR CARE ON GOD. 

April 16, 1780. 
Daily, by my anxious cares, how do I discredit 
these soul-comforting, soul-composing truths, that 
God cares for his people, that their concerns are his, 
and that he keeps them as the apple of his eye ? Did 
a kind-hearted Samson go along the way with me, 
and take my burden from my back, and bear it on 



310 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

his robust shoulders, would it not be impertinent to 
run up every now and then, to bear up the burden, 
though forbidden, and convinced that he could carry 
me above my burden ? Just so, God has commanded 
me to cast all my care on him, with this sweet as- 
surance, that he careth for me. And he has no more 
need of my care joined to his care, than he has need 
of my assistance to support the pillars of the world. 
Though rolling my burden on the Lord doth not su- 
persede a moderate care, and the use of lawful means, 
yet I am so to cast my cares on God, as if I had no 
more concern with them. O how unlike a child of 
God, an expectant of glory, to have so many anxious 
cares, and disquieting forebodings, about the things 
of time, under the pleasing hopes of a happy eternity! 
My cares may multiply, my concerns may grow, but 
can never be too many for God. He has borne the 
cares of his church and people through many genera- 
tions, and well may I cast all mine on him. God's 
care of me is always productive of good ; but my dis- 
trust avails nothing, but gives present pain, and future 
disappointment. — When God kindly claims it as his 
province to care for me, why should I encroach on 
his province, by caring for myself? He is a Rock, 
and his work is perfect, without my anxiety. The 
stronger my faith is in God, I will have the les$ care 
about myself. When I care for myself, I am dis- 
tracted with doubts and unbelief; but, when I cast 
my care on God, in the actings of a vigorous faith, I 
have peace and composure of soul. 

Did the king of Great-Britain send me a message, 
" Make yourself happy, for I will provide for you and 
your's," should not I rely on the royal promise, and 
think myself secure? Then is the promise, the com- 
passion, the treasure, and the faithfulness, of the King 
of heaven, less to be depended on, than of any earth- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATION S. 311 

ly king ? His care has been extended to a numerous 
race of my ancestors, since Japheth left the ark, and 
through Pagan darkness, and Popish delusion, has 
broaght^ne to the clear light of the gospel; and to 
this unerring care, both with respect to soul and body, 
I may well commit my posterity to the end of time. 
His care fashioned me in my mother's womb, and will 
not forsake me, now that I am near to be laid in the 
bowels of the earth. 

I know not how far I should extend my care, be- 
cause I know not how long I shall live. Now, my 
cares are mostly for events and times to come, and 
yet I cannot boast of to-morrow ; therefore, as no 
time is mine, but the present, so I should have no 
anxieties for the. future. 

If I should eat the flesh off my bones with care, it 
would not alter the plan of providence towards me ; 
therefore, strong faith, and entire resignation to the 
disposal of heaven, are both my indispensable duty, 
and will be my best wisdom. 

" Be careful for nothing," is a command as large 
and extensive, as it is kind and gracious ; that is, have 
no anxious concern about future periods, or apparent 
losses, about friends and relations, about wife or chil- 
dren, widow or orphan, house or home, food or rai- 
ment, poverty or reproach, sickness or death- 

So often has mine own care produced nothing but 
pain and disquiet, that it is high time for me to be 
ashamed of it, and to give entirely up with it. And 
so often has the heavenly care done wonders for me, 
watched over me for good, and done all things well, 
that on him I may cast my every care with confidence 
and joy. 



312 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OEj 

MEDITATION CXXXIX. 

THE AFFECTION OF A PARENT. 

Aug. J* 178ft 

Now that I am a father, and know the affection of a 
parent, would I not defend from every danger, would 
I not bestow every good thing, would I not implore 
every blessing on my tender offspring ? Would I 
not rear and cherish their infant state, correct and 
educate their childhood, inspect, reprove, admonish 
their manhood ? Would I allow the dear little crea- 
tures to play with sharp pointed knives, to sport on the 
brink of a rapid stream, or dance about a pit's mouth ? 
Would I permit them to hold in their hand the berries 
of the deadly night-shade, or to put a cup of poison 
to their tender lips ? However indulgent, would I 
suffer them to refuse my commands, or spit in my 
face ? And, if they laboured under any disease that 
threatened their precious life, what pains or expenses 
would I spare to procure them relief ? If assured that 
a physician lived somewhere, that could heal them 
without fail, would I not send to the utmost corner of 
the land ? would I not travel to the ends of the earth ? 

But, hear me, O parents ! and let me hear myself; 
if our affection end here, we are monsters of cruelty. 
Would we pluck them from fire and water, and yet 
permit them to plunge into the fire of hell, and lie un- 
der the billows of Jehovah's wrath ? Will w r e snatch 
from them sword, pistol, or knife, and allow them to 
w T ound themselves to the very soul with sin ? Will we 
chastise their impenitence to us, and wink at their 
spitting in the very face of God, by open acts of sin? 
Are we fond to have them early well bred to men, and 
yet let them live in the neglect of prayer, which is the 
highest disrespect that can be put on the Author of our 
being ? In a word, is this the sum of our kindness, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 3 1 3 

is this the height of our ambition for our dear chil- 
dren, to see them happy in time, flourishing in the af- 
fairs of this life, though they should be miserable be- 
yond description through eternity itself? Will their 
bodily pain excite our sympathy, and will we do all in 
our power to have their diseases healed, and yet feel 
nothing, though their souls pine under sin, and they 
suffer all the pangs of the second death, nor bring 
them in our prayers to the Physician of souls, to the 
Saviour of sinners ? 

Then, were my children ever so many, I have but 
one request for them all, and that is, that they may 
fear and serve God here, and enjoy him for ever. No 
matter though they sweat for their daily bread (this is 
entailed on all mankind) but let them feed on the hid- 
den manna ; let them toil and spin for their apparel, 
but let them be covered in the surety's righteousness. 
How would I count my house renowned, and my 
family ennobled, if there sprang from it, not minis- 
ters of state, princes or kings, (let potsherds of the 
earth strive for earthly things,) but pillars for the 
temple of God in glory, and such as should stand in 
presence of the Prince of the kings of the earth, 
when time is no more. 

Again whatever bowels of compassion I feel to- 
wards my tender offspring, such pity will the Lord 
show towards those that fear him. And though I will 
not give my child every thing it cries for, or is fond of, 
yet as I will give it what I know to be good for it, so 
will our heavenly Father deal with us ; why then, are 
we so often on the fret ? 

Again, how does a child confide in his parents ? 
To them he makes all his complaints ; he has not the 
least doubt of their affection ; he boasts of their pro- 
tection to his play-fellow3, and thinks himself safe in 
their presence. Why, then, should the children of 
27 



514 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

our heavenly Father, the sons of adoption, not bring 
all their complaints to God, rely on his love, boast of 
his protection, and conclude themselves safe under the 
conduct of his unerring providence ? 



MEDITATION CXL. 

ON 3EING CREATED A PEER. 

Feb. 27, 1782. 

My readers, no doubt, will be surprised at my sin- 
gular exaltation ; and no wonder, for I stand aston- 
ished at it myself; the more so when I reflect, that I 
have never rendered to king or country any remarka- 
ble services, that can claim this as a reward. But it 
is not the first time that the poor have been raised out 
of the dust to high honours, and lifted from the dung- 
hill to set with princes. 

A peer of Great-Britain, then, is a great man, and 
takes his seat in the house of lords ; — has access, free 
access, into the king's palace, and into the king's 
presence; — has a vote in the affairs of state — and let- 
ters post-free. — Nor can any creditor arrest him, being 
a member of parliament, for any debt. — He has rank 
and precedence according to the time of his creation. 
— His king may visit him without any stain to his ma- 
jesty. — And his children have rank among the children 
of other nobles. 

The world will now account me extremely happy ; 
but I must swell their wonder, and raise their aston- 
ishment still, while I tell them, that my peerage is 
spiritual heavenly, and divine. My heart would not 
greatly beat with joy for a British peerage ; but here 
I have cause of endless exultation : for henceforth. 

1. T take my seat among the saints of God, among 
the angels of glory ; being come to the city of the 
living God, a place infinitely more noble than the 
house of loi-ds, to an innumerable company of angels, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 315 

and to the general assembly and church of the first- 
born. 

2. I have boldness to enter into the holiest by the 
blood of Jesus, and palaces of kings are too often 
sinks of sin ; yea to bring all my petitions to this 
King of heaven on his throne of grace, who in the 
time of trouble (and what is human life but a time of 
trouble ?) shall hide me in his pavilion, and at last 
admit me into his royal palace with gladness and 
rejoicing, there to abide for ever. 

3. A vote in the affairs of state ! This sounds like 
blasphemy, had not the King of heaven himself said 
it : lt Ask me of things to come, concerning my sons, 
and concerning the works of my hand, command ye 
me." And to Moses, " Let me alone, that my wrath 
may wax hot ;" as if God would not be wroth, with- 
out permission from a praying saint. And indeed, at 
last, as assessors with the supreme Judge, we shall 
judge the World and angels. 

4. Promises came all free from heaven, and peti- 
tions and prayers are all sent free to heaven, through 
the hands of the glorious Intercessor. Our requests 
for our friends, though removed to the ends of the 
earth, can be answered, when our friendly correspon- 
dence is often interrupted and uncertain. 

5. I shall never be arrested by law or justice, be- 
cause my debts are all discharged ; and the Son hav- 
ing made me free, I am free indeed. Even death, 
that king of terrors., and sergeant at arms* that takes 
nobles, princes and kings into custody, shall never 
arrest me ; for he that has ennobled me has promised 
that I shall never see death, never feel the sting of 
death never be hurt of the second death- How many 
princes and kings would give their crowns at their last 
moments for this heavenly privilege ! 

6. Though once poor and grovelling on the dung- 



316 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OE, 

hill, yet since, by my spiritual peerage, the new birth, 
I am become precious in his sight, I shall be honoura- 
ble — be set with princes, and made to inherit a throne 
of glory. Some nobles have been their sovereign's 
favourites, but none were ever their chief ornament, 
their crown ; but I shall be (astonishing to tell i) a 
crown of glory to the Lord, and a royal diadem in the 
hand of my God. And no wonder I be so high in his 
esteem, who has given more than Egypt for my ran- 
som, than Sheba and Ethiopia, for me ; more than 
men for me, and people for my life, even his beloved 
Son to death for me. 

7. The King of kings, consistently with his majes- 
ty, may visit me ; for the high and lofty One, who in- 
habits eternity, and dwells in the high and holy place, 
also dwells with the humble and contrite soul; and, 
says the divine Redeemer, " If any man serve me, 
him will my Father honour ; and if a man love me, he 
will keep my words, and my Father will love him; 
and we will come unto him, and make our abode with 
him." Nothing on earth bears a shadow of this hon- 
our ; though crowned heads should visit cottagers, 
beggars, the condescension disappears before this hea- 
venly kindness. 

And, 8. The children of believing parents are fed- 
erally holy ; and though grace does not go by nature, 
yet in the sight of heaven and earth, the seeds of the 
saints are esteemed. Even the envious Jews, who 
were enemies to the Gentiles, because the gospel was 
preached to them, yet, touching the election, were be- 
loved for the Father's sake. How pleasant when a 
person can say, " He is my Father's God, and I will 
exalt him." ( 'I am thy servant, the son of thine 
handmaid." And even a king that was butchered, 
had burial bestowed on him by his very murderers, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 317 

"because," said they, '<■ he is the son of Jehosha- 
phat, who sought the Lord with all his heart." 

In these particulars there is some similitude be- 
tween a British peer and rne, comparing earthly to 
heavenly things, though the advantage is all on my 
side ; but in what follows there is no comparison at 
all. 

1. What boundless generosity, and unmerited kind- 
ness, appear in my creation ! J can plead nothing on 
the piety of my progenitors ; for my first faiher h^th 
sinned, and so was an Amorite, and my mother an 
Hittite, and I myself a transgressor from the womb. 
Though pages, and mean-born persons, may have 
been raised from the dung-hill, and made ministers «f 
state, yet what is that to my attainment ? For his 
mercy is great towards me, and he has delivered 
my soul from the lowest hell, and in my spiritual 
peerage, exalted me to the highest heavens ; so 
henceforth through all generations, I shall be blessed. 

2. Some have been ennobled for their real services 
to their king and country ; but the King of heaven 
needs nothing at my hand, yea, before my spiritual pro- 
motion, I was an alien, an enemy, a rebel to his gov- 
ernment and glory. Now, though a rebel has now 
and then been reprieved and pardoned, yet never was 
a rebel, who had spent his whole past life in acts of 
rebellion against his sovereign, taken immediately into 
favour, and ennobled. O the depth of divine wis- 
dom ! O the riches of grace I 

3. A nobleman, on his creation, assumes a new ti- 
tle ; and whatever his name be, he henceforth is call- 
ed, and subscribes himself by his new title, and this is 
known through the whole kingdom : So, on my spiri- 
tual advancement, I am called by a new name, which 
the mouth of the Lord has named : old things are pass- 
ed away, and all things become new. But in this I ex- 

21* 



$18 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

eel all earthly peers, in obtaining a white stone, and a | 
new name, which no man knows but the happy receiv- 
er. O ! then, to walk like one on whom the name of 
an incarnate God is called ; like one though he cannot 
name the very day on which he was ennobled, yet 
knows, that although he once lay among the pots, yet 
now he sits with Christ in heavenly places ! 

4. A peer also takes to himself a coat of arms, and a 
suitable motto. Mine may be a cross and a crown, 
and the motto, " Holiness to the Lord." But here, 
again, I exceed all earthly peers, for their coats of arms 
are only lifeless figures painted on their carriages, en- 
graven on their plate, &c, but in my creation, I am ar- 
rayed in complete armour, as my peerage is a military 
order, and I am no sooner taken into favour, and at 
peace with the trinity of heaven, than I commence 
war, inveterate and unremitting war, with the trinity of 
hell, sin, Satan, and the world ; therefore I am complete- 
ly armed, having on my head the helmet of salvation, 
the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith, 
my loins girt about with truth, my feet shod with the 
preparation of the gospel of peace, and the sword of 
the Spirit, which is the word of God. David could 
not move nimbly in Saul's brazen helmet, and coat of 
mail ; but in mine I walk freely, I fight safely, and 
sleep softly ; nay, so far is it from being .an incum- 
brance, that, if stript of my armour, I would be all in- 
activity and languor, assaulted on every side, and foil- 
ed by every foe. But I observe that I have no de- 
fence for my back, for such a man as I must never 
flee ; and, besides this spiritual armour inspires me 
with such a heavenly boldness, that I rush on enemies, 
and cry out, " I am more than conqueror through him 
that loved me. 5 ' 

5. When one is made a peer, he must be of an in- 
dependent fortune to support his rank. But before 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. $1 9 

my creation, I was such a naked beggar, that I had 
not a rag to cover me ; but now I am arrayed in broi- 
dered robes, robes of needle-work ; all glorious with- 
out by his imputed righteousness, all glorious within 
by his imparted grace. Besides, to support my dig- 
nity, there is a royal pension settled on me, and in 
such a manner, that I may spend like a prince, but 
cannot squander it away. I have a right to all the 
treasures of grace, to all the fulness of God. Now 
is the time of my minority, during which I differ no- 
thing from a servant, though lord of all : but when the 
day of glory comes, I shall enter on the full posses- 
sion of the riches and treasures of glory and bliss, 
above the conception of the human mind. And, in 
the mean time, I shall have' what is necessary to 
bring me home to the King's palace. Great men 
here may have diamond buttons, and buckles set with 
diamonds ; but the city of my King, where he and ail 
his courtiers dwell, has foundations of precious stones, 
gates of pearls, and streets of gold. 

6. As mine i3 a military orc^er, and all the powers 
of darkness are in arms against me, I have a noble 
guard appointed me ; not only thousands of angels 
strong, but God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in all 
his divine perfections. How safe am I, then, though 
in the land of enemies, though fighting my way 
through a dark and howling wilderness ! Yea, with 
such a guard, I might march through the midst of hell 
without harm, and bid defiance to all the fiends and 
furies of the bottomless pit I This guard 13 both 
around my house and my person, so that no ill shall 
come near my dwelling, and I am always in safety ; 
and though invisible, is not less august, i3 not less 
secure. 

7. Peerage among men respects only that kingdom to 
which the peers belong. A peer of Great-Britain is 



320 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

but a private person in every other country. He has 
no right to sit in state affairs among their nobles, or to 
vote among their senators ; yea, he may not be known 
by name in the court of Persia, or of the Great Mo- 
gul. But I am a peer of the universe. Go where I 
will, my peerage is in force, my pension is continued, 
and my privileges remain. — Though cast into prison, 
or banished to some desolate isle, still I am clothed 
with my embroidered robe, and appear in complete 
armour, and am attended with my royal guard. When 
the king of England creates a peer, he brings him to 
equal rank with the other peers, (and sometimes there 
is a mighty opposition against it, as just now, that it is 
a stain to the dignity of peerage to confer it on such 
an unworthy person,) but he never adopts them for 
sons. Then, sure am I, never was one more unwor- 
thy than I, and yet I am not only made a peer of hea- 
ven, but an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, 
being first adopted as a son ; for if once children, 
then heirs. 

8. Sometimes the same king that has raised a per- 
son to the dignity of peerage, has been so incensed 
against him, that by his positive orders, a prosecu- 
tion has been carried on against him, and he deprived 
both of honours and life. But in spiritual things it is 
not so ; " for the gifts and calling of God are without 
repentance." When 1 offend my heavenly Sovereign, 
he may be angry, reprove, rebuke, correct me, but he 
will never take his kindness from me, never deprive 
me of life or honours ; and this divine security, in- 
stead of emboldening me to rebel, will fill me with the 
noblest gratitude never to offend him. 

9. The king of Great Britain may raise a Baron to 
a Viscount, a Viscount to an Earl, an Earl to a Mar- 
quis, and a Marquis to a Duke; but I look at length 
(and am not accused of ambition or madness) for a 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 321 

kingdom and a crown! an everlasting kingdom, and 
a crown that fadeth not away ; a crown of life, a 
crown of glory ! There is no comparison then, be- 
tween the peers of any realm, the princes of any em- 
pire, and me, who am made a priest, a king, and that 
to God, and through eternity itself. 

10. Though peers have access into thek king's pre- 
sence at sometimes, yet it would be improper if they 
had it at all times ; it would degrade royalty itself, if 
they might intrude into their presence any hour of 
the day, any watch of the night, at their own plea- 
sure. Then stand still and wonder, O my soul ! at 
the condescension of the high and lofty One, who 
inhabits eternity. I may present myself in his pre- 
sence at the stated seasons of public worship, the 
hours of private and secret prayer, the retired mo- 
ments of meditation, and in every company, and on 
every occurrence, by ejaculation. Yea, what time 
soever I awake. I may be with God, and rise at mid- 
night to hold communion with him. Now, though 
the strength of corruption, the weakness of grace, 
and the cares of this life, are distractions that daily 
drag me from the heavenly presence, yet the time is 
coming when I shall dwell with the King in his palace, 
behold his beauty, and have the most intimate com- 
munion with him through all evermore. 

11. In this, again, ^surpass all the peers of Great 
Britain ; for, though their dignity is both to them- 
selves and heirs-male, my peerage is personal, and 
cannot descend to another (but why should it?) since 
this heavenly honour secures immortality to me. — 
What a struggle is made for this rank; with what 
avidity do they grasp at this grandeur, though in a 
few years they must be strip t of all, and laid in the 
silent grave! But could it confer immortality, or 
lengthen life to a thousand years, would not the great 



222 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

men turn the world upside down, and barter all they 
had to obtain it? Here, then, are a blessed immor- 
tality, and boundless joys before you. No costly ce- 
remonies, no expensive fees here ; only kiss the King's 
hand on your promotion ; kiss the Son, and be enno- 
bled for ever ; kiss the Son before his wrath burn 
against you for your disobedience, like the fiery oven. 

12. Jn this the spiritual peerage infinitely excels 
every peerage on the face of the earth ; for though 
my peerage can go to none of my relations, yet my 
parents, my brothers and sisters, wife and children, 
may all be made peers and peeresses. Yea, several 
of my ancestors and dearest friends have already ta- 
ken their seats in the upper house, not of a British 
senate, but of an heavenly assembly : And this is the 
grandeur of which I glory ; this is the nobility of 
which I boast. No matter though their names be 
not so much as known on the footstool, if they shine 
before the throne. And it is no arrogance to plead 
for the same privileges for our relations, our friends, 
that the King eternal has bestowed on ourselves. 

Now, when one is created a peer, however mean 
he was before his advancement he is expected to be- 
have suitably to his high rank and station f and many 
eyes will be on him, the eye of his sovereign the eye 
of the peerage, the eye of enemies, and the eye of 
the vulgar, from among whom he was taken. Just 
so, if the heavenly favour has chosen me from the 
scum of Sodom, and the blackguards of Gomorrah, 
to such rank and dignity, my mind should be humble, 
but my walk should be holy. I mtst break off with 
my former connexions in sin, and forget even my fa- 
ther's house and mine own people. How circumspect 
in all things should I be who have the eye of God, 
of saints, of sinners, and of Satan, on me I 

Again* though a peer is not always at court, yet his 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 253 

behaviour should always be courtly. He should act 
the nobleman in common things ; and so should I in 
all things act the Christian, and adorn the doctrine of 
God my Saviour, though not always actively engaged 
in the duties of religion. 

Moreover, a peer is to attend to his dignity in his 
company. Though he is never to be deaf to the 
cries, the requests, complaints, and wants of his fel- 
low-creatures, yet he is not to associate with the low 
and mean. What appearance would it have for him 
to come from the royal presence, and sit down, and 
quaff and carouse with chairmen and porters ? still 
worse, to make bosom-friends of the king's enemies, 
and give and receive visits from outlawed rebels. 
Thus, the carnal are too mean company for me ; but 
to associate with the profane and open sinners, and to 
make bosom-friends of such as avow their rebellion 
against heaven, is not the spot of a child of God. 
The more we are admitted into the heavenly pre- 
sence, the less will we give our presence to those that 
know not God. 

Again, a peer should not speak the vulgar style of 
the rabble, but the language of the Court, which 
should be the standard of language. So nothing can 
look worse than for a candidate for glory to speak 
profanely, obscenely, or in oaths and imprecations, or 
in excess of passion, or insipid trifling, since his 
speech should always be with grace, seasoned with 
salt, to the use of edifying. 

Again, he should never be slovenly dressed, but 
apparelled according to his station. So J, on whom 
the divine Father has been pleased to put the best 
robe, should study to be holy in all manner^ of life 
and conversation ; to keep clean garments, and clean 
hands, and to keep myself unspotted from the world/ 

Yet, again, a peer should be of a noble turn of 



324 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OH, 

mind. He should not stoop to mean,, though profita- 
ble employment ; he should not trouble himself be- 
cause some envy his high station, and others pay not 
that respect to him which is his due ; he should be 
liberal to the needy, and ready to forgive injuries, and 
scorn to avenge himself, seeing the laws of his sove- 
reign will take cognizance of every insult offered to 
him in due season. So I should be of an heavenly 
turn of mind, and scorn'to be greatly concerned about 
earthly things, who have the treasures of eternity be- 
fore me. How little should I regard the applause or 
dispraise of a passing world ? According to my abi- 
lity, I should do good to all, especially to those that 
ere of the household of faith ; but I should be frank 
in forgiving injuries, and repaying ill with good. Un- 
der the most injurious treatment, I may: commit my 
matters to him that will bring forth my righteousness 
as the noon-day. In a w r ord, though reproach and 
poverty, sickness and death, rob me of all my present 
comforts ; yet so vast is the heavenly bliss, and so 
rich the treasures that are secured to me in heaven, 
that in the very prospect I desire to lose my present 
pain, and, in the midst of every grief, to rejoice in 
hope of the glory of God. 

Finally, a peer inspired with gratitude, will exert 
himself constantly to advance the glory of his king, 
and the good of his country ; so, since exalted to this 
heavenly honour, the glory of God, the good of his 
church, and the salvation of souls, will be my daily 
request, my heart's desire, my daily prayer, and, ac- 
cording to my station, the struggle and endeavour of 
my whole life. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 325 



MEDITATION CXLI. 

THE SINGULAR ADVANTAGES OF POVERTY. 

Dec 30, 1782. 

The very title of this meditation may perhaps pro- 
voke, at least surprise many a pious soul. — u What 
advantage can it be (may they say) to be reproached, 
despised, oppressed, and in pinching straits, all which 
are concomitants on a state of poverty ?•' But I beg 
their patience a little, before they conclude. 

" Labour not to be rich," is an inspired direction, 
but quite disregarded by saint and sinner, by professor 
and profane ; for the unwearied labour of all is for 
independence, opulence, and grandeur ; and repeat- 
ed disappointments never stop the pursuit, but only 
vary the plan, and multiply the schemes to attain it. 

When heaven is pleased to bless with abundance, 
my humanity, gratitude, and holiness, ought to be 
conspicuous ; but when he is pleased to appoint po- 
verty to attend as invariably as the shadow does the 
body, then entire approbation of the conduct of Pro- 
vidence is incumbent on me. 

The case of the Jews under the Old-Testament 
dispensation will not apply to Christians under the 
New; for as their service was more carnal, so their 
rewards were more of a temporal nature, and both 
were typical of the more spiritual worship and re- 
wards under the New ; yet directions, cautions, pro- 
mises, and consolations, suited to the poor and nee- 
dy, sparkle through all the Old-Testament writings, 
like stars in the firmament of heaven. 

Riches cannot give that felicity which is expected 
by all that are in the keen pursuit of them ; and per- 
sons in very moderate circumstances enjoy all the 
comforts of life as well as the rich, and with a much 

28 



326 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

better relish ; so that the advantages on the side of 
riches are rather imaginary than real. 

We shall view some of the advantages of poverty, 
by glancing, first, at the hurt that riches often bring 
to immortal souls. 

1. They make men confident in themselves ; " We 
are lords, we will come no more unto thee." There 
are few that, like Job, can say, 4C If I have made gold 
my hope, or said to the most fine gold, Thou art my 
confidence :" For it is very natural to trust in uncer- 
tain riches ; therefore the apostle dehorts from it. 
The rich man is apt to swell in his own opinion ; his 
word must go far, his smile be esteemed a favour, 
and his very look a condescension ; yea, while the 
poor man's wisdom is despised, his wisdom is genuine 
and sterling. 

2. Pride is often attendant on riches. It is curi- 
ous to observe how some men's spirits rise and fall 
with their fortune. Is he in affluence — he is haugh- 
ty, reserved, and overbearing : Is he in indigence — ■ 
he is polite, and humble, affable, and even cringing. 
Nothing is more odious to God than pride, and " the 
proud he knoweth afar off;" and '« them that walk 
in pride he is able to abase." Again, 

3. Dependence on self is another concomitant on 
riches. Here men sacrifice to their drag, and burn 
incense to their net. One depends on his own genius 
in literature, another on his fertile invention for some 
new thing in mechanics ; one btailds on his own in- 
dustry in agriculture, another on his application to 
business in the mercantile line ; and another blesses 
his good fortune ; but in all these things God is nei- 
ther seen nor acknowledged ; and can any other rock 
be like our Rock, even the rich themselves being 
judges ? 

4. Earthly-mindedness is too often a fruit of rich- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATION. 327 

es ; and there is a deceit in riches that insensibly 
draws aside from communion with God. When Is- 
rael walked in a land that was not sown, he was ho- 
liness to the Lord ; but when Jeshurun waxed fat, he 
kicked. 

There is, I confess, a variety of cares, attendant 
on poverty ; but the cares with which riches are en- 
cumbered, are of a more dangerous nature. The 
cares of the needy naturally point heavenward, and 
there is a voice in them, that implores the pity, pleads 
the promise, and claims the protection of God ; but 
the cares of the rich are about their growing sums 
and worldly affairs ; insomuch that Solomon says, 
" Their abundance will not suffer them to sleep. 

b. Distractions, and a multiplicity of affairs, attend 
on riches, as the shadow follows the body. General- 
ly speaking, the rich are strangers to retirement and 
eolitude, to mental ease and tranquility. Still eager 
to possess greater and greater sums, they pursue their 
worldly affairs with unabating ardour. Perhaps, in 
the midst of their career, they lose a round sum, and 
then resolve, if they had made up this loss, that then 
they will retire from business, and turn religious in 
their old age. But one event after another continues 
their chase of created good, postpones their designs, 
and gives their resolutions the lie ; so that they retire 
from business and life at once, and are no more. 

6. The rich have a very hard task to discharge 
their duty to all around them. They are but stew- 
ards over their own riches, and have no allowance to 
consume aught of it on their own lusts, or on their 
luxury. The naked have a claim on the fleece of 
their flock, the hungry to be fed from their table, and 
the stranger to be lodged under their roof. As much 
is committed to them, so not only men, but heaven 
will expect the more. They must give an account 



328 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

according to their talents ; and r being in high station, 
their example must have influence on others around 
them ; therefore it is incumbent on them, not only to 
behave well themselves, but to act well to others, in a 
manner which cannot be expected from the poor. 

7. The rich are exposed to snares and temptations, 
various, and well suited to corrupt nature. Instead 
of naming them, I bid my readers cast an eye on the 
lives of the rich in general (though here and there 
some of this class are to be found, who serve their 
God in the abundance of all things) and they will 
see how riches procure fuel to the fire of every cor- 
ruption, and drown men in endless perdition. Steal- 
ing has generally been set to the account of pover- 
ty ; but the real poor, the truly needy, are not the 
thieves that infest the kingdom ; and some, not only 
in easy, but in opulent circumstances, have been more 
infamous for knavish practices, then the poorest beg- 
gar from door to door, while they have not the least 
pretext of necessity for their crime. In a word, it is 
grace, not riches, that can keep men honest from a 
right principle ; and stealing is rather to be placed 
to the account of depravity than poverty. 

I shall now name some of the positive advantages 
of poverty, that the poor may rejoice, rather than 
despond. 

1. Conformity to Christ in his state of humilia- 
tion, who, though heir of all tilings had not where to 
lay his head. Though we are not to refuse what 
Providence bestows on us, and like some of the or- 
ders of the church of Rome, make a profession of 
voluntary poverty, from a fond conceit that thus we 
shall be like to, and accepted of him ; yet we are not 
to murmur or complain, since we, who have forfeited 
all, are in no worse condition in this world, than the 
Former of all things was when in our w r orld. Can 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 329 

we call no house our own, but must sleep in a borrow- 
ed bed, subsist on a homely, coarse, or scanty meal ! 
Have we small incomes, little cash, and no credit, 
and depend entirely on the charity of others ? Well, 
so was the Captain of our salvation, who was made 
pe^fect through sufferings ; and, if we are rightly ex- 
ercised, our graces shall grow more and more perfect 
under the various pressures of an afflicted lot. 

2. Poverty gives a claim on the compassion of 
God. None could ever go to a throne of grace, and 
say, I am rich and prosperous, therefore hear my re- 
quest. Indeed, chief favourites, and great noblemen 
have their requests granted in the courts of kings ; 
but the King eternal " looks to the man that is poor 
and of a contrke spirit," and who can plead, " But 
I am poor and needy, make haste unto me, O God." 
And well may the poor plead with that God, who, by 
his prophet, has said, ' c I will leave in the midst of 
thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust 
in the name of the Lord ;" and says the apostle, 
ct Has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich 
in faith ?" O the vast odds between heaven and 
earth, between God and men ! Here " the brethren 
of the poor go far from him, he follows them with 
words, but they are wanting to him." Thus *< the 
destruction of the poor is his poverty." But what a 
sweet relation commences between God and the 
poor ! He is their help, their shield, their kind pro- 
vider ; so that, both in a temporal and spiritual sense, 
" When the poor and needy seek water, and there is 
none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord 
will hear them ; I the God of Jacob will not forsake 
them." He puts himself down as surety in the poor" 
man's bond, and declares, that <« he that giveth to the 
poor, lendeth to the Lord ;" and as a good surety, he 
will not fail to repay him. Now, if this noble con 
28* 



830 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

nexion, and divine relation, will not balance all the 
perplexity, pain, and reproach, attendant on poverty, 
to the pious soul, what will do it ? In a word, at the 
general judgment in the great day, the final sentence 
to the righteous and the wicked will be awarded, 
though nor for, yet according to the kind or unkind 
usage of his poor, needy, and persecuted followers in 
the world. 

3. The poor have a daily dependence on God : and 
if their provisions were more, their dependence might 
be less. The rich man in the gospel, forgetting the 
heavenly favour, builds for futurity on the plenty he 
had amassed ; but his folly is corrected, by his soul 
being demanded of him in a moment. A servant 
does not expect that the provision of a week, a 
month, or a year, should be set in his sight at every 
meal : he depends on his master, is content with his 
food, and attends to his service : just so, why should 
*God's poor despond ? It is enough if they are fed 
from hand to mouth ; when the hand of God is seen 
in their supply, their wants are relieved, and their faith 
feasted. He is a master whose servants need have 
no anxious care for futurity. In feeding them from 
day to day they have a daily communion with him in 
his providences, as well as in his ordinances. The 
102d psalm is called l < a prayer for. the afflicted;" so 
the fourth petition may be called a petition for the 
poor, and properly belongs to them ; for though we 
may seek spiritual blessings for all the ages of eterni- 
ty, yet we are to seek temporal good things only from 
day to day. And as this petition directs us to be mo- 
derate in our requests for created good, as it informs 
us after what manner, generally speaking, God will 
provide his people, that it will be only from day to 
day. Hence it becomes absolutely necessary for a 
saint in poverty, to depend on God at all times and to 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 331 

depend on him alone. And, by this needy depen- 
dence, he puts honour on the power, on the compas- 
sion, on the promise, and on the providence of God : 
nor shall he ever be disappointed. 

4. They have a sweet submission to the will of 
God. Indeed it is grace, not poverty, that can pro- 
duce this heavenly temper ; but when the poor see 
such a display of all the divine perfections in their 
daily supply, such condescension, such care of God 
concerning them, they approve of their lot, and sub- 
mit, cheerfully submit, to the divine disposal. The 
poor not only have good cause to be submissive, but 
thankful, since to those who improve poverty aright, 
our Saviour has said, in his sermon on the mount, 
" Blessed are the poor in spirit ;" and, in another 
sermon on the plain, " Blessed are the poor" in state ; 
as appears by the contrast, as he says to those that 
take riches for their portion, " Wo to you that are rich, 
for ye have received your consolation." 

5. Humility is another attendant or fruit of pover- 
ty ; and indeed, a poor proud person is as great a con- 
tradiction in nature, as to say a sick strong man, or 
a swift lame man. Pride is so hateful to God, so 
hurtful to the soul, that poverty is a cheap cure for 
such a distemper. And humility is so lovely in the 
eyes of God, and portrays such a beauty on the soul, 
that God condescends to dwell there ; while from the 
proud he not only stands afar off, but knows them 
afar off. Affluence and prosperity are the soil where 
corruptions are most luxuriant in their growth ; while 
poverty and affliction are the soil where graces thrive 
best. Jt is so natural for the best men to forget them- 
selves, when brought to riches and honour, that infi- 
nite wisdom, who knows best what is in us, sees a 
state of mediocrity, or even of indigence, most pro- 
per for the heirs of heaven. And the very word, 



332 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

"an heir of heaven!" is enough to balance all that 
can be perplexing, afflicting, or calamitous, in our lot 
below. When Israel walked after God, in a land 
that was not sown, then he was holiness to the Lord ; 
but, when Jeshurun waxed fat, he kicked, and grew 
forgetful of God, that formed him. 

People in pinching circumstances may be apt to 
think it impossible for them to abuse a state of opu- 
lence, would heaven bestow it on them. So Hazael, 
servant to Benhadad, king of Syria, stood astonished 
at the prophet's prediction, that on his advancement 
to royal authority, he should become a monster of 
cruelty, and exclaims, " Is thy servant a dog, that he 
should do this ?" But no sooner does the servant 
commence a sovereign, than the man becomes a dog. 
So, oft-times, no sooner does the poor become rich, 
than he becomes proud towards man, and impious 
towards God, to such a degree, that frequently the 
change is greater in his conversation than in his cir- 
cumstances. In this respect God deals with the 
greater part of his people, as a prudent parent does 
with his child ; give him no sharp weapons to play 
with, lest, in spite of the parent's admonitions, and 
the child's fair promises, he might wound himself 
with them. It is true, some eminent saints (I say 
but some) are both rich and in high station ; but then 
grace is given to them, suiting to that very station 
they are in. And when I find myself in straitening 
circumstances, I may conclude, that this very state is 
absolutely necessary, either to suppress some sin that 
might otherwise sprout up, or to exercise some grace 
that otherwise might lie dormant, and thus is most 
conducive both to God's glory, and mine own good. 

6. Poverty calls to the exercise of certain graces, 
which Christians in opulence cannot so properly be 
actually engaged in, though every saint has every 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. S33 

grace in the habit. The rich cannot depend on God 
for their daily bread, in the same manner that the 
needy do. And when the poor, in their pinching 
straits, and repeated trials and disappointments, are 
enabled to let patience have her perfect work, to a 
full resignation to, and approbation of the disposal 
of providence in their lot, and have a sweet recum- 
bency on the faithfulness and kindness of a reconcil- 
ed God ; thereby he is glorified, and their souls en- 
riched for a world to come. 

Again, the saints in poverty have a sweet display 
of a special providence towards them, and the small 
things, and petty sums they receive, have a relish to 
them above the vast and yearly incomes of the rich ; 
because these come, as it were, from the immediate 
hand of God, are the answer of their prayers, and the 
fruit of their faith. As in an indigent state, wants 
daily return, so faith is daily necessary ; and the daily 
actings of faith on an all-sufficient God, of all Chris- 
tian graces glorifies God most, putting honour on all 
his perfections, on his truth and faithfulness, his pow- 
er and immutability, his wisdom and mercy ! — And 
the soul that in the highest degree glorifies God in 
time, shall be glorified in an higher degree in heaven ; 
for the seeds now sown with weeping shall yield 
sheaves of comfort then, and the happy reapers shall 
rejoice for ever. Now, though the men of the world 
only connect one time w T ith another, because they 
have no hope for eternity, yet the saints connect this 
and the eternal state ; therefore, it matters not how 
much w r e suffer here, if God may thereby be more 
glorified on earth, and we more glorified in heaven. 
If then, poverty, with the divine blessing, promotes 
this noble end, can any deny its singular advantages ? 
If the soul goes out towards God, has the world cru- 
cified to him, and is crucified to the world ; if he es- 



S34 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

teems the heavenly bliss a sufficient portion, looks not 
at the things that are seen, commits all to God, wel- 
comes every cross that comes from God, approves of 
that lot which he appoints, and in every thing depends, 
relies, confides on God, for himself and his children 
to the latest posterity ; and if he has his little allow- 
ance (for he does not wish for much) insured in the 
bank of heaven (and after generations shall observe 
it safe, while the great sums amassed by worldly-mind- 
ed men and misers, are often in a short time so entire- 
ly consumed, that their heirs have nothing :) Is he a 
loser by poverty ? 

Finally, what though God lead me through a terri- 
ble wilderness, and feed me in the wilderness in a man- 
ner which the rich know not, since it is to humble me, 
and prove me, and do me good at my latter end, even 
to do me good world without end? 



MEDITATION CXLII. 

A JOURNEY ALONG THE SEA-SHORE. 

Sept. 2, 1783. 

I. At the commencement of my journey, I must 
take a passage-boat ; and how noble the contrivance, 
thus to be wafted from shore to shore ! Let me see di- 
vine wisdom shining in the devices of men. 

Here I find old and young, male and female, men 
of different station and various employments ; and in 
the safety of the vessel we are all equally interested. 
This is a picture of human society ; for, in the felicity 
of a family every member should share, in the happi- 
ness of a nation every individual should rejoice, and in 
the peace of Jerusalem all should triumph. 

The sea is a stormy element : the winds roar, the 
waves rage, and some of the passengers are both fear- 
ful and very sick, though others are cheerful and cou- 
rageous. Thus is our voyage through human life : 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. * 335 

tempests attack us, various afflictions rage around us, 
and inward grief and vexation make us sick at the 
very heart ; but some have a more pleasant passage 
through life, and others, by a steady faith in God, re- 
main tranquil and serene. We meet other passage- 
boats, and with the same wind we pass them, and 
reach opposite shores ; so saints and sinners, whether 
adversity or prosperity fill their sails, steer for opposite 
shores. 

2. I find, in some parts on the shore, a scarcity of 
good fresh water ; and yet an ocean of water swells 
before them. So, some men, in the midst of all abun- 
dance, never taste of true joy, or solid consolation. — 
And the whole creation, to an immortal soul, will 
prove but like salt water to a thirsty man, never ablo 
to allay his drought, or ease his grief. 

But the inhabitants, having other conveniences, put 
up with this ; and, alas ! shall not we often put up 
with greater losses for trifles ? How many sit still un- 
der erroneous preachers, rather than forego the least 
conveniency to hear an evangelical minister ? 

3. Travelling along the coast, I come among some 
very sinking sands, which make my journey both pain- 
ful and tedious ; but, when I reach the sands that are 
often washed with the sea, I walk with ease and de- 
light. So it is safer and sweeter to walk in an afflicted 
lot, that is often washed with the briny wave of ad- 
versity, than in the wealth- and ease of the w r orldling. 

4. I find cloth laid down within the sea-mark, to 
prepare for whitening, and left to be covered by the 
waves, and so secured, that when the sea retires, the 
owners find all safe. Even so, afflictions and trials 
shall prepare the saints for glory ; and though, in their 
own eyes, and in the eyes of others, they may seem 
drowned in distress, and cry out, u All thy waves and 
the billows are gone over me," yet well does the hea- 



336 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OR, 

venly owner know how to preserve, in the midst of 
great waters, his own, and at last to deliver out of all 
trouble, and present them faultless before his pre- 
sence with exceeding joy. 

5. It is now tide of ebb, and, though the waves roll 
with fury, and threaten to recover what they have lost, 
still they retire, till all the shore is left dry ; so, O saint ! 
so, O soul ! shall it be with thy corruptions ; they may 
rage, and threaten to return, but still they shall lose 
ground, till they shall never more be seen. Though 
corruptions should seem as strong as ever, yet the time 
of their continuance is daily growing shorter ; and 
this may be comfort to many a poor soul, that, though 
sin should rage never so fiercely, still it is but the last 
efforts, the desperate struggles of a deadly wounded 
enemy. — But the tide of flood calls to mind the mel- 
ancholy case of sinners ; for, though the waves seem 
often to recoil and relinquish what they had gained, 
till every succeeding billow advances further than the 
former, till the briny surge possesses all the shore ; so, 
whatever checks of conscience, and partial reforma- 
tions may take place, still the wicked proceed from 
evil to worse, till the soul is drowned in sin, and lost 
in perdition. 

6. What abundant variety of all things does the sea 
produce ! The ground that lies along the coast is en- 
riched with sea-weeds, and is very fertile ; our tables 
are supplied from the deeps ; and sometimes when the 
crop, has failed, the ocean has poured in its plenty, 
and supplied the poor. Such is the divine goodness. 
It is an ocean that supplies all our wants, and still 
overflows. From him come all our comforts, from 
him our blessings flow ; and still they overflow. He 
gives grace, and he will give glory : He gives himself, 
and that is all in all. 

7. Fields enriched with everj grain, and verdant 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 337 

pastures stored with flocks and herds, are not far off, 
but my hap. is to walk along a barren shore, and to 
have the foaming billows my attendants ; many a tra- 
veller has gone this way, and a new road is not to be 
made for my fancy and pleasure ; So must the sons of 
men, so must I, walk in that very path providence has 
appointed me, however rugged, however afflicting it 
may prove ! It is the way, and no other, that will lead 
to our better country, to our Father's house. To be 
running every now and then in quest of a more pleas- 
ant way, will only add to my toil, and lengthen my 
journey ; just so> to fret under affliction, and to be dis- 
contented with our condition, may make us more mis- 
erable, and add edge to our anguish, but can do us no 
good. It is comfort, though the road be rugged, that 
it leads me to the house of my friend ; so, if I arrive 
at last at my heavenly Father's house, who is a friend 
that sticketh closer than a brother, I ought to put up 
with every disaster by the way. 

8. I have walked a good way all alone, but I have 
had company for some miles, but such company, that 
I welcome my solitude again. Let this be a caution 
to be slow in choosing companions ; and hew happy 
they who have agreeable, godly companions, along the 
crooked road of life, w T hose pious colloquies will 
brighten the day, shorten the way, and cheer each 
other to their journey's end. 

9. Sands that were lately covered with the tide, by 
a strong wind are now blown in my face ; a sudden 
change indeed I And how soon do people that have 
been in deep affliction forget themselves, and turn 
frothy I Our natural vanity and levity is so great, that 
none but the Searcher of hearts can know it. 

10. I find a man sitting in something like a centry- 
box, and take him for a criminal ; but how surprised, 
on inquiry, to find that he is a kind of judge, and de- 

29 



338 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OB, 

termines disputes on shore. More surprised shall 
thousands be at the great day, to see the saints, who 
have been held as criminals, and as such have been 
banished, beheaded, and burnt, sit judges on the world, 
and on angels. 

11. By nature and art, I find doves dwelling secure- 
ly in the rocks ; the ocean foams before them, the 
tempests roar around them, but they are safe at home ; 
and, on their nimble wings, fly where they will : So, 
safe are the saints who dwell in the Rock Christ, in 
the rock of ages ; and on the wing of faith they fly 
from ail surrounding ills, to the heavenly rest, the land 
of promise, and paradise of bliss. 

12. A fine shower falls from heaven and falls on 
the salt sea with the same abundance that it does on the 
fruitful field, or pasture-ground. This seems a waste, 
for the sea cannot become a whit fresher by all the 
rain that it receives ; but who knows but a ship, too 
long on her voyage, and grown scarce of water, is 
catching on her sails the kindly shower, and preser- 
ving alive many persons ? To how many has the gos- 
pel been preached that have never believed the heaven- 
ly report ? Among thorns, by the way-side, and on 
stony ground, has the good seed been sown, which 
came to nothing ; but heaven will be sovereign in its* 
kindness to all, and sinners inexcusable who perish in 
their unbelief. 

13. Innumerable creatures sport in the main, and a 
variety of water-fowl fly along the shore. There is an 
element for every creature, and every creature loves 
and lives in its element. Then, am I an expectant of 
heaven, and a candidate for glory, and yet wallow in 
earthly things ? If born from above, I shall find delight 
in spiritual things, and desire to be above. 

14. When come in the sight of, and not far distant 
from the house to which I go, a little rivulet presents 



jtflSCELLAtfEOUS MEDITATIONS. 339 

itself, through which I must go, or be disappointed of 
the pleasure I promise myself on visiting my friends. 
I learn there is a bridge for foot-passengers, but nei- 
ther for horses nor carriages, built by some friendly 
hand over the stream ; but many a traveller knows no- 
thing of this bridge. And so must take the stream, 
whatever may ensue. This minds me of death, which 
stands between me and my father's house, and presents 
itself at the end of my journey. However terrible it 
may appear, the prospect of communion with God 
may make me leap through all dangers. Christ, in- 
deed, has built a bridge for his chosen to pass over ; 
but over this bridge we can carry neither honours nor 
riches, nor relations, but stript of all, must walk alone, 
under the conduct of our heavenly Guide. But, alas ; 
how few know of this bridge, how few find it, and 
how many perish in the stream ! 

15. At last I reach the dear house for which I un- 
dertook my journey, and find a hearty reception from 
all my kind and much esteemed friends. So at last 
shall all the saints, and so may we, arrive at the house 
of the living God, and be" blessed with the society of 
saints and angels, and ravished with communion with 
God and the Lamb. When arrived at this state of 
everlasting rest, I shall forget the dangers of my jour- 
ney, and the troubles of my lot ; I shall be filled with 
unspeakable joy in his presence, and feasted with the 
fatness of his house for ever. 

However happy here, a short time must finish my 
visit, and I must return the very same way that I came ; 
but the bliss above is everlasting. I shall never quit 
the society of saints, and angels, I shall never go out 
of his temple, I shall never rise from his banquet, I 
^hall never depart from his throne, never cease to be- 
hold his glory, nor be silent in his praise ; but my 
whole soul, in every ravished power, shall be full of 
God) and go wholly out on God for ever, 



340 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

MEDITATION CXLIII. 

BRITISH STATE LOTTERY. 

March 8, 1786. 
I shall not here attempt to discuss how far state 
lotteries are lawful, or not ; but so well does govern- 
ment suit the bait to the ambition or avarice of men, 
by some capital prizes, that there is always a world of 
adventurers ; and as among them there may be some 
well-meaning persons, I shall drop a few thoughts for 
their consideration. 

1. We should have a firm belief of a divine, over- 
ruling Providence, and no dependence on blind chance. 
Therefore, such persons are reproved, who, to secure 
success, rather purchase a share in several tickets, than 
one whole ticket ; but the wheel of providence can 
turn up sixteen blanks as well as one. 

2. We should never adventure from a principle of 
avarice ; for we cannot ask- from heaven what we have 
no use for ; and it is not safe to have any thing under 
the sun but from the kind hand of God ; so, when we 
adventure, we should have the call of providence by 
some pressing circumstances we are in at the time. 

3. We should never buy deep, but such a share as 
will neither hurt our circumstances, nor ruffle our tem- 
per, though it turn out a blank. 

4. If we be rich, and will support government by 
purchasing in the lottery, if it turns out a prize, the 
greater part thereof should be laid out in pious and 
charitable uses. What good might thus be done 
to numbers of needy families, and unfortunate per- 
sons ! 

Our expectations should never be / high. Often even 
a capital prize has done more ill than good to the re- 
ceiver. The provision of kind providence is better 
for our children than any sum ; and there is a blessing 
on that which is got with honest industry. 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONg. 341 

6. If, after waiting some time, and expecting a lit- 
tle sum to help us out of some pressing strait, we on- 
ly get a blank, yet, let us still consider, that providence 
is neither exhausted or nonplussed : and that though 
this, and that, and the other scheme fail, he never fails 
his people. 

I shall next give a caution or two. 

1. If a prize is drawn, (1.) Talk not of good luck, 
but acknowledge providence, for nothing comes by 
chance. (2.) Be rather humble than high-minded, 
more afraid of hurt to your soul, than assured of ad- 
vantage to your state. (3.) Infer not from your good 
success that you are the favourites of heaven, "for no 
man knowethlove or hatred by all that is before him." 
(4.) Implore the blessing of heaven to come along 
with it to you and yours. Without this how many have 
suffered loss much by the sudden accumulation of 
wealth ? They have been taken out of their proper 
sphere, turn giddy-headed, and squander away what 
they possessed, till with shame and anguish of mind, 
they sink to that station from whence they arose, or 
lower. (5.) Do not think much of what heaven 
thinks so little of, for often riches are bestowed on the 
basest of men, and are employed to the worst of pur- 
poses ; they can procure no quiet to a wounded con- 
science, cannot avail a person tossing on a death bed, 
a sinner trembling before the judgment-seat, or an im- 
mortal soul through eternity. (6.) Keep a memoran- 
dum of your resolutions, both as to the frame of 
your mind, and your bounty towards pious and cha- 
itable uses, which often read over, and never depart 
from. 

2. If a blank or a trifle is drawn, (1.) Acquiesce 
cheerfully. You may be in the wrong in attempting 
to be rich in such a manner. But, should conscience 
acquit you, still give God the honour of his sovereign- 

29* 



342 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OK, 

ty, who does whatever he pleases, and gives no ac- 
count of his ways. Give him also the honour of his 
wisdom, who knows best what is best for you, and do 
not prescribe to Omnisciency himself. (2.) Consid- 
er, that often those children do best that have no large 
sums from their parents. Now, it is often more for 
our children than for ourselves that we seek riches ; 
yet, how often have the riches of the parent been a 
means to ruin the character, the morals, and the very 
constitution of their children ! 

But now, to compare earthly with heavenly things 
— can we be so happy in the mere expectation of a 
prize, where we may be readily disappointed, and not 
exult in the heavenly treasures, which can never de- 
ceive us ? Can we find such pangs of joy in a prize of 
20,000Z. which we may spend to a farthing, and must 
leave behind us, and yet our hearts not beat with rap- 
turous joy at the heaven-gift, at the pearl of great 
price, being eternally our own ? If a little of this 
world place us in such easy circumstances in life, how 
enriching the treasures of glory ! Let me accept only, 
and the bank of bliss will bestow, not the trifling sum 
of a few thousands, but durable riches and righteous- 
ness. There is no blank here to stab our expectation, 
and sadden our countenance : no, but a kingdom and 
a crown, endless bliss, and endless glory. The great- 
est sum now cannot prevent me from becoming a bank- 
rupt ; but, instead of spending my celestial stores* 
they cannot so much as be counted or told ; but a few 
figures will contain all the suras that were ever lost or 
gained in every state-lottery in every land. How poor 
the richest mortal! how rich the meanest saint! 
Earthly things only please an earthly appetite, but here 
the joys of paradise, the bliss of angels, and all the 
perfections of God, feast and ravish forever. 

Had this lottery no blank,, how numerous would the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 343 

adventurers be ! but the heavenly liberality has no 
blank, none shall be disappointed, but have prizes 
large as wish, and boundless as desire. 

Here, if a person gets a prize, or a share in a 
capital prize, it is the most that he can expect ; but 
those who will accept of the heavenly bounty, shall 
have every enriching prize (not for the short period of 
sixty, eighty, or an hundred years ;) he shall have par- 
don of sin, peace with God, growth in grace, joy in 
believing ; in a word, heaven, and all the joys of para- 
dise ; endless life, and all the glories of eternity ; and 
God in his infinite fulness, world without end. 



MEDITATION CXLIV. 

ON THE WORKS OF CREATION. 

Jan. 20, 1790. 

Befoke I enter on this meditation, I premise a few 
things : 1. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
wisdom, the best, the noblest of all knowledge. 2. 
Many a pious soul has gone, and many may go to hea- 
ven, that knows but little of the theory of the starry 
firmament. 3. The belief or disbelief of these things 
is merely indifferent with respect to the concerns of 
salvation. 4. As our salvation depends nothing upon 
such a knowledge, we can expect no account thereof 
in revelation. 5. By way of analogy, however, com- 
paring that part of creation which we know not, with 
that part which we know, I have as firm a belief of 
these things, as of any thing else that comes not with- 
in scripture authority, mathematical demonstration, or 
historical narrative. 6. Great philosophers, surveying 
the works of creation, may have their heads full of 
shining knowledge, and yet at last arrive at the dark- 
ness of eternal night. 

Every thing is full of God. How is our earth re- 
plenished, air and sea crowded with inhabitants I 



344 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

Every blade is covered with life, and every liquid 
abounds with animalculae ; so that we have an endless 
field for admiration, gratitude, and wonder, on our ter- 
raqueous globe. 

But why should we think our earth the only planet 
in our system that is peopled ? If we are not so near 
the sun as some of the other planets, we are attended 
by a moon, while some that are more distant still have 
four or five moons, aftd are of tremendous magnitude, 
compared to our globe. Why, then, should one pri- 
mary planet only of seven, and it neither the least nor 
the largest, neither the nearest to the sun, nor the 
most distant from him, be inhabited, and all the rest 
desolate and empty ? Philosohpy can give no reason, 
and revelation does give none. Now, to a mind that 
would admire the glory of the Creator, what a noble 
prospect is our system ? So many worlds of intelli- 
gent creatures, living on his providence, and paying 
him the tribute of praise! the philsophers in every 
planet inferring, that the rest must be inhabited as 
well as theirs, and with growing wonder adoring the 
supreme Creator of all ! 

Moreover, at immense distances on every hand, 
beyond all the planets of our system, we see a great 
many fixed stars with our naked eye, and, by the 
help of telescopes, millions more ; and the better the 
glasses are, still more distant and starry firmaments, 
rich treasures of creating power, are brought into 
view, and astonish every beholder. How vast the 
survey may still grow, as glasses may be further and 
further improved, I shall not dare to conjecture. — Let 
us, then, suppose their present number, as is by some 
supposed, to be seventy millions, and that every star 
is a sun, as big and as bright at least as our sun. As 
our sun, which is but a star to them, is the centre of 
a system, and affords light and heat to all the planets 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 345 

that roll round him ; so these globes, which are no 
more than stars to us, are suns to their own systems. 
That never a planet in any of these systems has been 
seen, or can be seen, is no argument against their 
existence, since some of the planets in our own sys- 
tem have escaped every astronomer till of late ; and 
who can tell but that more worlds still, in some future 
period, may be found to belong to our system ? And, 
considering that they are at such a vast distance, that 
a sun appears but a star, how can planets, that shine 
with a reflected light, be seen ? — Now, if we suppose 
every system, like ours, to have seven primary planets, 
what an immensity of worlds this ! Four hundred 
and ninety millions of worlds, all inhabited with ra- 
tional creatures ! And if, again, we suppose the inhabi- 
tants of every planet to be as numerous as in our earth, 
here calculation is baffled, and conception fails ! If the 
king's honour be in the multitude of the people, what 
honour must belong to the King of kings, who not 
only can claim the cattle on a thousand hills, but the 
inhabitants of millions of systems, and all the angels 
of light? 

It is calculated that seventy or eighty thousand die 
day by day in our earth; but let us suppose that only 
a thousand daily are translated from every world, yet 
thus the number that arrive at the world of spirits for 
one day is four hundred and ninety thousand millions! 
No arm but an omnipotent can support such legions, 
no eye but an omniscient can survey the whole. Well 
may we, with astonishment, join Bildad, and cry, "is 
there any number of his armies? and upon whom 
does not the light" of his glory "arise?" 

In contemplating such a plurality of worlds a plea- 
sant prospect opens, that perhaps sin is only known 
in our earth, but that all these continue in that state 



346 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OK, 

of innocence in which they were created. Often 
have we been difficulted to see the goodness of God 
over all his works, while we behold such multitudes 
of human souls going down to the chambers of death ; 
and understand, that for ages the worshippers of the 
true God were confined to the nations of the Jews 
and a few proselytes ; and even in the more extensive 
spread of the gospel, to so few nations is the Chris- 
tian name hitherto confined, that it may be said, The 
world lieth in wickedness ! But how pleasant to re- 
flect, that while, in sovereignty, the sinners in our 
globe shall feel the wrath of a tremendous Jehovah, 
all these millions of inhabited worlds, retaining their 
primitive innocence, walk in the light of his counte- 
nance, and sing the praises of their adored Creator ! 
Now, though our whole system were both sinful and 
miserable, how small is it among so many! But when 
sin is known only in one planet, and but a part of 
the inhabitants of that planet left under its fatal in- 
fluence, we may infer, that all the sons of perdition 
are but like the small dust of the balance to the to- 
tality of happy beings ! 

Should it be objected, How do we know but that 
sin has made its way into many, or into all these 
worlds ? I answer, From the holiness and goodness 
of God, who will never suffer sin to take place where 
it cannot be counteracted. As God is the first cause 
and last end of all, so he cannot but make all things 
for himself, all things for his own glory. Now, sin 
can never be for his glory (for, as it is sin, it strikes 
against his holiness, and as it plunges his creatures 
into eternity, it strikes against his goodness) except 
where, by permitting it, he can manifest the glory 
of all his divine perfections, in condemning sin, and 
saving the sinner by a Saviour. 

Should it be further objected, That sin entered 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 347 

among the angels, but those of them that sinned have 
no Saviour, I answer, 1. That but a certain number 
of them sinned ; and, 2. That their sin is connected 
with the sin of man ; hence Christ is said to be 
4< manifested to destroy the works of the devil/ 5 Now? 
as sin could be taken away by nothing less in our 
world, than by the sacrifice of our incarnate God, so 
sin could be expiated by no other sacrifice in any other 
world. But Christ cannot be personally united to 
more than one nature, for union to a plurality of na- 
tures, souls and bodies, would be confusion in the 
person of the Son ; therefore he cannot be the Saviour 
of any more worlds than ours. So, if sin entered 
there, they must all perish for ever, which is contrary 
to his goodness ; hence we conclude, that they, like 
our first parents, were created in holiness, and con- 
firmed in their innocence, like the angels that kept 
their first estate. — From this view of creation we may 
infer, 

1. How great must the Creator be, in the hollow 
of whose hand so many millions of inhabited w T orlds 
do roll ! How prolific every hour of the six days crea- 
tion ! What multitudes of holy angels admiring these 
works worthy of a God ! To fallen angels w r e cannot 
give a number, though it is probably very great, as we 
find a whole legion in one man ; but, in Rev. v, 1 1, 
we read of an hundred millions of angels round the 
throne; and how many more they are, none can tell, 
as this is only a definite for an indefinite number. 

2. Hence w r e may see the beautiful connexion that 
takes place through the whole creation. All these 
suns, though very remote from one another, shine to 
the nearest systems as stars ; thus each of them has 
a primary and secondary use, to shine as a sun to 
their own system, and as a star to the systems around 
them. 



348 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

3. What madness would it be in the sinners of our 
earth to marshal themselves in battle array, and de- 
clare war against all the inhabitants of all these worlds 
(supposing they could meet) since every individual 
would have to encounter millions and more? But 
they are chargeable with more desperate madness still, 
who, by their sin, challenge to combat the Lord of 
hosts, the Lord of the armies of universal nature, and 
run on the thick bosses of his buckler, whose arm is 
omnipotent, whose blow is irresistible, and whose dis- 
pleasure is death. 

4. Suppose but one million of these suns collected 
into one constellation of stars, one cluster of burning 
orbs, what a tremendous effulgence, what a deluge of 
light, and blaze of glory, would it give ! Unless at a 
very great distance, no human eye could behold it. 
Yet how would all this insufferable brightness disap- 
pear before the heavenly glory ! When the judge 
shall at last descend, attended with millions of an- 
gels, I make no doubt but the glory of every angel 
would darken a sun ; what, then, must the light of 
the New Jerusalem be, which the glory of God shall 
lighten, and whereof the Lamb shall be the light ! 

5. How mean is it in a saint of God, in an expec- 
tant of glory, to have his temper ruffled, or his coun- 
tenance saddened, by a few ill-natured and malicious 
neighbours ! to forget the meekness of the gospel, by 
the ill-usage of sinners ! since in so short a time he 
is to join so sweet a society, where there shall not be 
one waiting for his halting, nor a jarring opinion in all 
the millions of glory ! 

5. What must be the power that made, and the 
wisdom that governs all these worlds ! In what a 
blaze of glory must the Creater appear, who has 
kindled up so many millions of suns, and kept so ma- 
ny millions of planets regularly rolling around them, 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 349 

and even wandering comets, so that not one, through 
so many ages, has mistaken its course ! Kingdoms 
and churches, and families, may dwell secure under 
the sceptre of such a King, under the providence of 
such a God ; and every individual of the human race 
may commit his way to him, without an uneasy 
thought, an irksome murmur, or an anxious wish. 

7. When sinners on every side create us sorrow, 
let us reflect, that even from this earth at last the 
ransomed of the Lord shall be a great multitude, 
which no man can number. What, then, must the 
heavenly assembly be, the people of so many millions 
of worlds, and all the hosts of holy angels, all in the 
presence of God and the Lamb, and all shouting his 
praises through an endless evermore ! 

8. Creation is the admiration of men, of philoso- 
phers ; but redemption is the wonder of angels, the 
ne plus ultra, the furthermost that God can go. Had 
he pleased, he could have created still more and more 
worlds ; but he could give nothing better, nothing 
more than his Son. In creation, his wisdom, his 
power, and his goodness are manifested ; but in re- 
demption, his manifold wisdom, his mighty power, his 
spotless holiness, his unbounded goodness, his inflexi- 
ble justice, and his invariable truth, shine forth, and 
will shine, while the ransomed sing before the throne. 
And here the astronomer and philosopher are reprov- 
ed, that survey the whole creation, but stop short of 
God ; or are filled with wonder at the works of his 
hands, but never have their hearts filled with gratitude 
at his love and grace in redemption. 

9. However God may shine in the works of crea- 
tion, still he shines with uncommon, unrivalled, un- 
paralleled lustre in the work of redemption ; for, to 
save one soul is more than to create all these worlds. 
He spake, and it was done ; he commanded) and it 

30 



350 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR) 

stood fast ; he said, Let it be, and light, and suns, 
and systems, replenished part of the mighty regions 
of space ; but nothing less could ransom sinners, 
than his own eternal Son, united to human nature, 
and sustaining unutterable agonies, the acutest sense 
of divine wrath, and thus expiring on the accursed 
tree! — O astonishing price of our redemption! — 
Though all the millions of angels round the throne, 
and all the sinless inhabitants of these four hundred 
and ninety millions of worlds, had been sacrificed 
for the salvation of one soul, that soul notwithstan- 
ding such a sacrifice, must have perished for ever; 
for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats 
could take away sin. And on a level stand all crea- 
tures here, from the highest angels, through every rank 
of intelligent beings, because all are creatures still. 
I see, then, that my Redeemer must be a divine per- 
son (and there is not greater and lesser, no semi-di- 
vine in deity) that he must be the supreme, the self- 
existent Jehovah. And shall I cast away my soul for 
ever, a soul of such value, for phantoms, for shadows, 
for nothing ? 

10. How should an immortal soul rise superior to 
all the trifles of creation, the pageantry of high life, 
and the splendours of royalty, and expand every pow- 
er of the soul, every mental faculty, to the improving 
society of those holy multitudes that daily arrive at 
heaven, to the fellowship of millions of angels, and 
to eternal communion with God ! 

11. What must the wicked feel at last, when in the 
presence (for aught we know) of all these assembled 
worlds, in the presence of men and angels, they shall 
be loaded with infamy, condemned to the abodes of 
horror and despair, and thus punished with everlast- 
ing destruction from the presence of the Lord, and 
from the glory of his power, displayed in the grand 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 351 

work of redemption, and in the creation of that vast 
multitude of worlds I Not only cut off from this dear 
society of holy angels, and happy innocents, from all 
these worlds, but banished the divine presence, and 
pursued with burning wrath for ever. 

12. What a noble prospect opens beyond death to 
every saint, who by nature is a social creature ; for 
grace destroys not nature, but purifies and exalts it ! 
In the celestial levee, among immortal grandees, in 
the court of the King of kings, they shall enjoy the 
divine presence ! Though now the presence of one 
sovereign is courted with avidity, yet to be admitted 
into a congress of all the kings and potentates of this 
world would be but a lean honour, and unsubstantial 
glory (though no individual ever attained to it, nor pro- 
bably ever will) compared to that renown that attends 
admission into the general assembly and church of the 
first-born. As all these systems were created at one 
and the same period in the beginning of time, so at 
one and the same period time may end to them all, 
and eternity begin. And then, how august the as- 
sembly ! how delightful the song I and how vast their 
felicity, none can tell ! Again, though all these worlds 
can claim a covenanted God, yet the redeemed from 
among men can claim an incarnate God, and have 
notes in their hosannas which neither angels nor any 
other can imitate. 

How the blessed will be employed in eternity, we 
cannot say ; but as God is every where present, eo 
they will find heaven every where ; yet, where the 
God-man, God in our nature, shall dwell in the bright 
effulgence of his glory, there shall the redeemed from 
among men assemble ; and wherever they go, or what- 
ever they do, they shall enjoy God in a manner that 
will make them happy above conception or thought* 






352 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

I offer a few thoughts more, and leave them with the 
reader. 

1. The divine essence, filling immensity alike, 
wherever he manifests his glory, and communicates 
his goodness, there is heaven. Thus the angels, be- 
ing blessed with uninterrupted vision, and fruition 
of God, though employed on messages to our earth, 
are always in heaven, and yet earth is not heaven. 

2. It seems to be the general opinion of divines, 
that neither sun, moon, nor stars, nor our earth, shall 
be annihilated ; but the world at last shall be purified 
by fire, and appointed for some noble use by the su- 
preme Disposer of all things. 

3. If in this new earth righteousness (that is, the 
saints or righteous ones) shall dwell, who, like the an- 
gels that come from the realms of bliss, shall, though 
inhabiting the earth, dwell in the very heart of heaven ; 
so, after the general judgment, the inhabitants of all 
these worlds shall dwell in their distinct globes ; yet 
all these numerous worlds shall make but one heaven, 
one commonwealth of bliss, and be for ever blessed 
with the vision of God's glory, with the communica- 
tions of his goodness. 

4. Who can tell but that in eternity there may be 
some grand festivals, some august solemnities, when 
the inhabitants of all these worlds shall assemble to 
worship him in universal chorus, who truly is the Lord 
of hosts, and to pay special honours to the man 
Christ, who, because he humbled himself to the death, 
the death of the cross, has a name given him, that at 
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every 
tongue confess, through heaven and earth, and univer- 
sal nature ; even as in the church below, several con- 
gregations may meet at one sacramental solemnity. 
What a glorious sight will this be in the eyes of every 
adorer i and how will the redeemed from among men 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 353 

rejoice to see their incarnate God exalted as head over 
all ! And what a field of wonder, what a flood of ec- 
stacy, will pour into these innumerable millions, when 
the mystery of redemption is revealed to them, which 
things the angels, bending down from their heavenly 
orbs, desire to look into ! But with what wonder, as- 
tonishment, and holy indignation, will they be filled, 
when informed that there are some intelligent beings 
that once boldly impugned the Deity, and denied the 
divinity of the Son, the second person of the ever- 
adored and undivided Trinity ! and that the miscre- 
ants should be not only of that world he condescen- 
ded to save, but of that very society that did bear 
the Christian name I 

5. Though they can never retire from the presence, 
the enjoyment of God, yet they may retire from this 
congress of systems, this assembly of worlds, with an 
increase of knowledge, of love, and felicity, and im- 
prove for the next convocation which may be made by 
a solemn peaL rung by archangels, or the sound of a 
trumpet ; for if the sound of a trumpet can awaken 
the dead, it may well assemble the living. 

6. When the inhabitants of all these worlds assemble 
again around the heavenly standard, with what addi- 
tional lustre will they shine to one another ! Even in 
heaven wisdom makes the face to shine ; and as their 
researches into God are unremitted, so their growth in 
knowledge will be constant. And though all are em- 
ployed in studying God, yet some may have some 
sweet display of one divine attribute, others of another, 
w T hich they may communicate to each other, to their 
mutual joy and increase of knowledge. Just as min- 
isters of the gospel now, though their search may 
be after all truth, yet one may have a bright disco- 
very of one truth, and another of a distinct truth, and 
so on, by which thev may improve and edify one 

30* 



354 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

another. Thus, every time they assemble, it will be 
with additional degrees of knowledge, felicity, and 
glory. 

Moreover, the angels, these heavenly courtiers, that 
have explored the God-head for many thousand years, 
will communicate their knowledge to all the happy 
adorers ; for, in the world of spirits, every intelligent 
being can freely converse with one another. But, 
above all, Jesus, who has been the prophet to his 
church in the militant state, will continue to be her 
prophet in the triumphant state, and, as far as his di- 
vine wisdom sees fit, will unfold to them more and 
more the mysteries of grace, the magazines of glory, 
the arcana of Deity, the secrets of God. 

7. As all these worlds are but like the cities of one 
kingdom, the states of one republic, the members of 
one family, and the servants of one God, may not the 
inhabitants, being nimble as the angels of light, visit 
one another ? But, O how different from the visits 
below ! A blaze of heaven will shine around them 
wherever they go, the praise of God fill every mouth, 
and his glory shine in every countenance. — Thrice 
happy guests ! They will set out from world to world, 
swift as angels, or quick as thought ; and to hear, and 
speak, and learn still more and more of God, will 
be their constant employment, and soul-refreshing 
theme. If the sweets of society and friendship be 
esteemed among the sons of men, how shall the 
sweets of sacred friendship and sinless society be es- 
teemed among the sons of God! 

8. May not we suppose poor sinners, who are shut 
up in the gulf of hell, to be like state-prisoners, who 
hear their offended sovereign passing in triumph, at- 
tended by his loyal nobles, and happy favourites, but 
no ray of hope for them ; who, therefore, knaw their 
very chains in the anguish of despair, and, with re- 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 355 

doubled bowlings, and severest remorse, bewail them- 
selves banished forever from the glory of his power, 
that shines in such an assembly? that beams brightly 
in redeeming love ; and shall feel the superadded sense 
of divine displeasure teeming into every power and 
faculty of the soul for ever. Oh ! how must the tor- 
ments of sinners, the anguish of damnation, be heigh- 
tened, sharpened, and screwed up to the highest pitch, 
by this sad reflection, that their state is fixed* and their 
misery shall endure to all eternity, in the fullest mean- 
ing of the word, in spite of all that witless votaries 
for hell have said to the contrary ! 

9. Wherever the saints, the ransomed of the Lofd, 
may dwell, it must be in heaven, and they shall be 
blessed with the presence of the man Christ ; for he 
is their Head, and they are his members. Angels, 
and all the happy worlds, are related to him as their 
Creator and supreme good, but the saints claim him 
as their Brother, their Husband, their Head ; and, by 
this relation, have an honour superior to any other 
created intelligence ; for " he took not on him the na- 
ture of angels, but the seed of Abraham." 

10. Whatever delight and satisfaction all these in- 
telligent beings may find in searching into the wonders 
of creation, into that astonishing variety that may pre- 
vail among the inhabitants of the numerous systems 
(since even among the angels that are all immaterial 
beings, we find thrones and domiaions, principalities 
and powers, angels and arch-angels, cherubim and 
seraphim ;) yet every happy adorer will join the psal- 
mist of old, " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and 
there is none upon the earth, " none in all the systems, 
none in any world, " that I desire besides thee." And 
though the students on divine subjects shall be innu- 
merable, yet every divine perfection, being infinite, 
shall afford them ample scope for their searches. For 



356 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; 0JS, 

I am of opinion, that their knowledge shall be so 
acute and comprehensive, that the motions, laws, and 
universal connexion that the systems have with one 
another, shall be familiar and easy to them. But with 
what growing wonder, and holy delight, shall they ad- 
mire that Power, that produced such numerous worlds 
from mere nothing, pure nonentity 1 and called such 
mighty spirits as the angels into being with a word! 
And how will the most penetrating geniuses of angels, 
or of men, or other intelligent beings, find themselves 
lost in searching into his self-existence and essence ! 
His is so infinite, that it defies, and will for ever defy, 
their researches, and compared with him, all these mil- 
lions of angels, and millions of worlds, with their in- 
habitants, are but as an atom to space, or a point to 
ubiquity ! In this infinite essence, the happy inquirers 
will find glories for ever new ! Moreover, how will 
they he completely ravished to think (though no crea- 
ture c^n understand how) that this great God, in three 
co-substantial, co-equal persons, must have existed 
from a necessity of nature, from a necessary perfec- 
tion, and must have existed with all the necessary attri- 
butes of infinity, omnipotence, omniscience, an immu- 
tability, as well as holiness, justice, goodness and 
truth, from all evermore ! Likewise, the works of 
Providence in every world, and respecting every indi- 
vidual, will be a noble theme to the heirs of felicity ; 
and among these works, the salvation of sinners, by 
the incarnation, sufferings, and satisfaction of the 
Son of God, will be the wonder of all the glorious 
intelligences, as well as the song of the redeemed. 

Finally, the Lord shall rejoice in all his works, and 
his glory shall continue for ever ; while to millions of 
millions he communicates of his goodness through 
eternity : compared with whom, what a small handful 
shall underlie his burning indignation for ever ! But* 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 357 

O melancholy thought! perhaps my dear acquain- 
tance, my daily companions, or my near relations, may 
be among the unhappy persons ! O that they may be 
made to flee from the wrath to come. 

To add no more, how dark are our views, and how 
ignorant are we of the world to come ! But this may 
fill us with solid joy, that it is wholly in his hand, who 
will make his people happy in and with himself for 
ever, whose presence is fulness of joy, and to be at 
whose right hand, is pleasure evermore. 



MEDITATION CXLV. 

A PROSPECT OF DEATH. 

A dispute has long subsisted between my mortal 
frame and death : and though I have long maintained 
the struggle with a life subject to disease and pain, I 
must at last yield to the universal conqueror, and be 
led to the house appointed for all living. In a little 
the king of terrors will advance toward me, harnes- 
sed to slay, and I shall not always escape the keen de- 
stroyer. But here is the comfort of a Christian, that 
he may die, and yet not be hurt of the second death : 
yea, he may enter undismayed the lists with him who 
is the terror of kings, as with a conquered foe, and 
with cheerfulness view the silent grave ; for though 
his dust rot, yet his hope shall flourish for ever. O 
what an unspeakable privilege is an interest in the 
Son of God, whereby that which sets the secure 
world a trembling, fills the believer's mouth with 
songs of triumph! Happy would the wicked be, if 
freed from the fears of approaching death ; but this- 
advancing day, when he is dissolved, to be with Je- 
sus, kindles joy in the believer's breast. 

Reluctant nature, indeed may struggle in the last 
pangs, but disclosing glories shall scatter every gloom. 
My relatives may weep about me, but my soul shall 



358 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

be all harmony within. My body may toss and tum- 
ble on a death-bed, but my hope shall be fixed within 
the vail. Mourning and weeping may attend my de- 
cease, but my departed soul shall soar to everlastings* 
song ; and while my sad friends inter my lifeless clay, 
my immortality shall enter into the joy of my Lord. 
Such views as these refresh the expectant of glory ; 
and whatever clouds may darken his evening sky, yet 
his state is secure, and he shall never walk alone, 
through the dark shadow, the solitary valley of death. 
The same divine Saviour, who has been a cloud and 
a shadow to him all the days of his life, will also be 
the shining of a flaming fire to him in the night of his 
death. Hence dissolution itself, like the cloud of old, 
when kindly interposed between flying Israel and 
pursuing Egypt, though it be terror and darkness to 
depraved mortals, yet it is joy, light and transport to 
adopted eons, 

If, on the approach of the decisive moments, fierce 
disease will allow my soul so much tranquility as to 
think, with what delight will I bid the world adieu, 
how will my joys swell to see myself on the brink of 
an eternity of glory ! And, if I can use my tongue, 
how shall my dying breath speak of the excellencies 
of my divine Redeemer, and commend religion to the 
sons of men! How shall I expatiate on the bliss, the 
entrancing joys found in his presence, even below, 
when the soul dwells with great delight under his 
shadow, and eats his fruits, while paradise blooms 
around him ! How shall I also endeavour to set forth 
a little of that triumphant state that is before the 
throne! Then, taking my last, mine eternal farewell 
of all created things, I shall fix my soul on all the 
boundless bliss, and everlasting glory, that is in his 
presence, and while he graciously begins to shed eter- 
nal noon about me, shall breathe my soul out among 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 359 

his beams, and rise in his irradiation to the very 
throne. 



MEDITATION CXLVI. 

A STATE AFTER DEATH. 

Indeed the most part of men live as if there were 
no futurity, no hereafter ; as if they should altogether 
drop out of being the moment they drop their mortal 
frame. But, notwithstanding the confined views of 
depraved mortals, a noble prospect opens beyond 
death, the hope of the heaven-espoused breast. Sure- 
ly, as the prisoner, long detained in the dreary dun- 
geon, when allowed to pass the envious doors, to be 
possessed of liberty once more f looks with delight on 
unbounded fields of day, and with a kind of greedy 
joy, glances the whole surrounding skies ; so, when 
my soul, through the door of death, shall escape from 
this clay prison, in which I daily groan, and pass 
through the confines of time, I shall rise at once into 
eternity itself, look round on fields of light, on floods 
of glory, and, with the overflowings of an holy joy* 
see felicity, in its infinite plenitude, measure with eter- 
nity above. 

What matter, then, though my dust mingle for 
awhile with the earth, and my memory perish among 
the sons of men, if mine immortal soul,- all activity 
and life, be going out unweariedly in praising the 
Fountain of glory, and well-spring of salvation ? If 
my death be happy, mine eternity shall be blessed ; if 
his beams dispel the darkness of death, I shall walk 
in the light of his countenance for ever. In thai 
state of bliss, all my bliss shall be according to the 
state of the King. I shall live in his smile, and 
be ravished with his emanations; I shall walk in 
his light, and be conformed to his likeness. I shall 
drink of his pleasures, put on his strength, and partake 



360 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

of the divine nature ? O how every power of soul 
shall burn in his beams, brighten in his glory, and 
kindle in his love ! Then will this dying worm begin 
to live after the manner of angels ; then shall this 
lukewarm soul love in a degree a-kin to seraphim, 
and join in the raptures of the harpers before the 
throne. Here, in his sanctuary, have I seen some of 
of his steps of majesty, but there shall I behold him 
in all his glory, and my soul shall have, through his 
own amazing condescension, such refined apprehen- 
sions, such a clear and lively knowledge of him, that 
I may be said to "see him face to face, and to know 
as I am known." There I shall walk in white in the 
presence of the undivided Trinity, and shall enjoy 
communion with Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for 
ever. I shall admire all his dazzling glories, adore 
all his divine perfections, and be possessed of plea- 
sures large as my wish, pure as the bliss of angels, 
immortal as my own soul, and liberal as the bounty 
of the glorious Giver. Again, whatever glorious 
things and sacred bliss I am possessed of, this adds to 
its excellency, that it is eternal ; while my toils shall 
all dissolve in endless rest, my griefs in everlasting 
joy, and my sorrows in eternal songs. 

Surely, when I see such a state before me, I am 
astonished that my state below, whatever it be, should 
trouble me, more than a bad day or dirty way should 
incommode a king going to his coronation ; and that 
happiness of which I am an expectant as much tran- 
scends his, as his does that of the most wretched gal- 
ley-slave* Then, at that day when the world shall 
say of me, He is no more, I shall begin to be what 
will crown my highest aim, and satisfy my whole de- 
sires, even an abiding inhabitant in the world above, 
where I shall enjoy God, the inconceivable good, in 
an inconceivable manner, through endless ages. — 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS 361 

Then, a few moments, and in this world I am no 
more ; and again, a few moments, and if my hope 
deceive me not, I am there for evermore. 



MEDITATION CXLVIL 

A GLANCE AT THE GLORIES ON THE OTHER SIDE CREATION* 

All at once I find myself in an unbounded flood 
of bliss, a spacious sea of glory ; lost in wonder 
amidst ineffable divinities, and transported with the 
raptures of seraphic harmony. 

The first and reigning glory is, that Jehovah keeps 
his royal court in person here. His dwelling-place 
is enriched with the richest profusion of his love, with 
the brightest displays of his goodness : and while 
all his saints rejoice in his excellent glory, what 
ardour glows in every soul, what rapture swells in 
every song! O the adorable displays of his perfec- 
tion ! the manifestations of his goodness, the outlet- 
tings of his love ! and the intercourse that is between 
him and his hidden ones! The fulness of the Father, 
treasured up in the Son, dispensed by the Spirit is 
the crown-charter of the kingdom above where the 
royal privilege of every inhabitant carries him to the 
utmost extent of communicable glory. 

What buildings are these ? They be the palaces 
of the great King, the mansions of our Immanuel, of 
which there are many in his Father's house ; and they 
are all magnificent, founded in grace, and furnished 
with glory : *' The beams of our house are cedar, and 
the rafters are fir." Age shall never enter here, and 
nothing shall decay : " The King is held in the galle- 
ries." What a beautiful city is the New Jerusalem, 
the mother of us all ! of which the Lord God and the 
Lamb are the light ! How glorious are its gr.tes, 
where pearls of essential beauty sparkle ! and all the 
attributes of God blaze divinely bright! 
31 



362 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

There trophies of eternal victory lie beneath Im- 
manuel's feet. He is our elder brother, our near kins- 
man, and our busband. This is the relation from 
which our grandeur springs, our being married into 
the high and honourable family of heaven. What a 
blessing is it to be brethren to the Son of God, and 
hear him to us in that capacity declare his Father's 
name ! O the assimilating beams of glory that dart 
from his eyes, and shoot likeness with the ray ! We 
see him, and are like him, we are like him, and love 
him, and are eternally happy ! No wonder that the 
world was such a waste and howling wilderness, such 
a dry and thirsty desert, such a land of heat and drought, 
compared to the heavenly Canaan, where the rivers of 
pleasures overflow their banks for ever. 

Why did we expect joys on earth ? Our mortal 
frame could not have borne the transports of eternal 
day ; yea, here it is all we can to bear the brightness 
of his beams. O love ! O rapture ! O ecstatic joys ! 
everlasting heaven ! The general assembly, now 
met on the holy Mount Zion, the joy of the whole 
heaven, is an assembly of gods, all sons of the High- 
est, and the Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods 
dwells among them ! O ineffable glory ! to dwell for 
ever in the royal pavillion of heaven, in most inti- 
mate communion with the King eternal, immortal, 
and invisible I 

What rapturous notes are these I hear ? The song 
of Moses and the Lamb. My soul dissolves in praise, 
my spirit pours out in sweet hosannahs, all heaven is 
melody, angels accent the song. O the charming an- 
thems of glory ! O the high strokes of the harpers 
round the throne ! The song of the redeemed is the 
song of songs. We will sing to thee while we live, 
while we have our being we will bless thee. Weep- 
ing endured for a little, through the short night of 
time, but joy is come in the morning of the resurrec- 






MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 363 

tion ; and we have a song in this solemn assembly, 
and gladness, being come into the house of the Lord. 
Our happiness shall utter hallelujahs, our glory sing 
thy praise, and never be silent. Sing ye inhabitants 
of eternity, shout from the mountains of myrrh, a«d 
hills of frankincense where ye rest, and are refreshed 
for ever. And shall these raving hosannahs never 
end, these songs of love never cease ? O life of an- 
gels ! O warbles of eternal noon ! for we rest not day 
nor night, to sing of all thy glory. 

Say, was 1 ever sad ? What although ? since now 
my sackcloth is loosed, and I am girt with gladness. 
Here, to the glory uf the bounteous Giver, we have 
all things common. This God, this glory, this up- 
making all, my fellow-saints, without my loss, is yours, 
and, without any prejudice to you, is also wholly mine. 
Here we drink at life's immortalising stream, and with 
eternal joy draw water out of the wells of salvation. 
From the rivers of thy pleasures, O God ! thou wilt 
make us largely drink : " Eat, O friends ! drink, yea, 
drink abundantly, O beloved ! for in my presence there 
is fulness of joy, and at my right hand are pleasures 
for evermore." 

thou that art as ny brother, I have found thee : 
not within the promise, not in the ordinances, as in 
the days of my flesh, but without, in the most ample 
displays of thy eternal love, in the open fields of glo- 
ry, and shall kiss thee, and not be despised. I have 
found thee 1 and shall hold thee, and not let thee go 
through all eternity. 

Here we receive out of his fulness, and grace for 
grace, and glory for glory. Our possession is worthy 
of our liberal Giver. We have a kingdom which can- 
not be moved, an inheritance undefiled, and that fa- 
deth not away ; a city that hath foundations, whose 
builder and maker is God. We have garments of 



364 SOLITUDE SWEETENED J OK, 

glory, a crown of righteousness, a crown of life ; the 
tree of life to feed upon, the fountain of life to drink 
of, and the garden of God to walk in. We have life 
above the reach of death, health secured from sick- 
ness, and pleasure without pain. Our bodies are im- 
mortal, our souls immaculate, our senses sanctified, 
our conceptions spiritualized, our faculties enlarged, 
and our whole soul replenished with divinity. Our 
past bliss is present with us in the sweet remembrance, 
our present bliss entrances in the enjoyment, and our 
future bliss is present with us in the full assurance of 
our eternal felicity. Thus we are for ever blessed to 
the highest degree. We are above all fear, beyond 
anxiety and doubt, and fixed above all change. Our 
service is sincere, our adoration ardent, our knowledge 
profound and satisfying. Rapture rushes in at every 
part ; our eyes are ravished with seeing the King in 
his beauty, our ears with hearing the songs of the in^ 
ner temple, our nose with the fragrance of the Rose 
of Sharon, the plant of renown ; our feet with stand- 
ing in his holy place ; our hands with handling of the 
word of life ; and our mouth with the wine of our 
beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing our souls 
to shout aloud, and the lips of us who were once si- 
lent in death, asleep in the grave, to sing, and never 
cease. Our fruition of his fulness, our vision of his 
perfections and glory, our interest in his offices and 
relations, our union to the incarnate Word, our com- 
munion with all the persons of the glorious God-head, 
and our participation with the divine nature, consti^ 
tute our most exalted bliss, and are the heaven of 
heavens. 

These are the years of the right hand of the Most 
High. Here He, of whom Solomon in all his majes- 
ty was once a languid type, is crowned with all the 
brightness of his Mediatorial glory ; and this is the 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 365 

day of eternal espousals, the day of the gladness of 
his heart. The Father and the Bridegroom are come, 
and the Spirit and the Bride are come, and let every 
one that heareth come to the marriage-supper of the 
Lamb, for all things are now ready. The banquet is 
prepared, and the guests are bid ; the table is furnish- 
ed, and the company set down ; and blessed are they 
that eat the bread of life in the kingdom of God. O 
the sweetness of the Lamb of God ! O the honied 
excellency of the true manna, that came down to 
earth to feed us there, and is taken up to heaven to 
feast us here. O the table discourse of glory ! O 
the melting languge of mutual love ! we never knew 
what communion was till here. The banquet shall 
never be ended, the table never drawn, the guests 
shall never scatter, they shall go no more out, and 
come no more in. 

The Father hath loved the Son, and given all things 
into his hand ; the Son hath loved us, and given us 
all things richly to enjoy. The Father hath loved us 
as his own Son ! Love is love here indeed ! O the sa- 
cred familiarity that is in love ! O the kindness of 
ImmanuePs heart ! Father, I will that those whom 
thou hast brought hither, see all my glory which thou 
hast given me, for they love me, and delight in my 
glory. Lord, thou that knowest all things, knowest 
that we love thee, and that our happiness is in behold- 
ing thy glory. O what torrents of eternal love teem 
from the throne into our souls! Now, we know that 
Got! is love, and in his love he rests towards us. And 
dost thou delight in the work of thine hands ? Art 
thou charmed with the love of thy creatures ? " Turn 
away your eyes, for they have overcome me !" Nay, 
Lord, we have fixed our eyes on thee, O thou that art 
fairer than the sons of men, than the angels of God ; 
and there they shall be fixed, and feast for ever. Our 



366 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OR, 

eyes shall dwell on thee, and our hearts fly out at our 
eyes. 

Glory is a native of the better country. Glory has 
her habitation in our land. Darkness is debarred the 
regions of eternal day, and sorrow banished the realms 
of bliss. Our winter is over and gone, our spring is 
in perpetual verdure, our summer in eternal bloom ; 
our Sun is in his height, our day is at its noon, and 
there is no night here. Our love is in the flame, and 
our well-beloved is ours, and we are his; he feedeth 
among the lillies. The day is broke, and the shadows 
blown away, and we walk with him in white; yea, we 
are changed from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the 
Lord that dwells in us, and are called up into the 
mount of communion, from which we never shall 
come down ; and here we talk and speak face to face 
with him, as a man speaketh unto his friend ; and our 
hearts burn within us, while he talks with us, and 
opens up to us the mystery of redemption, the won- 
ders of his love. 

Here we search with serenity, satisfaction, and joy, 
into the secrets of eternity, into all the deep things of 
God. The nonplussing contingencies of our transi- 
tory life shine now with harmony, wisdom, and good- 
ness through the whole ; and, though we were stum- 
bled at our own afflictions, yet now we adore his con- 
duct, and confess, that we could not wisely inquire 
concerning the matter below. Now religion triumphs, 
piety is vested in her honorary robes, and all those 
that stood boldly up for the honour of the King, when 
trampled upon by his demented enemies, ride on white 
horses in his glorious train, clothed in the garments 
of salvation, with a fair crown upon their head, and the 
royal proclamation made from the throne. Thus shall 
it be done through eternity to the men whom the King 
delighteth to honour. 



HISCBfcLANEOTJS MEDITATIONS. 367 

Blessed are the men whom thou hast thus chosen, 
and made approach unto thee. Surely we are abun- 
dantly satisfied with thy goodness, which thou pre- 
paredst for us when we were poor, with the divine 
bounty of thy temple. Thou hast crowned the year 
of thy grace, with thine eternity of glory. The hills 
of glory rejoice on every side, and the heavens shout 
and sing to thee, for thou hast made them glad. — 
Though our enemies rode over our heads in the days 
of trouble and turmoil, yet we had power over them 
in the dawn of glory, in the morning of the resurrec- 
tion. Though we did pass through the fires of per- 
secution, through the waters of adversity, yea, through 
the rapid stream of dissolution at last, yet^hou hast 
brought us to a wealthy land, so that we have a good- 
ly heritage ; and the lines are fallen to us in pleasant 
places, being led to the goodly mount which thy right 
hand had purchased for us, O Immanuel ! 

Here will I pay my vows through all eternity, which 
I spake in the day of my trouble, in the land of my 
pilgrimage. O love ! never to be forgot, which has 
Drought me safely through so many winding labyrinths, 
and crooked paths, in sight of so many enemies, in 
spite of a tempting devil, in spite of the accusation 
of my sins, the rebellion of my lusts, the carnality of 
my affections, and the weakness of all my graces, to 
stand at last for ages on an even place, and bless God 
in the congregation of sinless adorers 1 

Here our vision is full and assimilating, our fruition 
satisfying and solacing, and our communion free and 
uninterrupted. O how rapturous to begin converse 
with the God of glory for eternity ! We have found 
him in Bethel, in his own house, in his own heaven, 
and here we ipeak with him. Yea, we weep for joy, 
and pour out acclamations of ecstacy, since he will 
never go away. We have power over the uncreated 



368 SOLITUDE SWEETENED ; OB, 

angel, and, in the struggles of seraphic love, we wres* 
tie and prevail with him, that he shall never, never, 
never leave us. O the pleasure that is in his pre- 
sence ! O the exuberant rivers of joy that flow at 
his right hand ! How much better is his love than 
life, and the light of his countenance than the posses* 
sion of ten thousand creations ! 

Honour only dwells here. O deluded mortals ! to 
strive so for empty names, and transitory epithets be- 
low ! For honour and majesty are before him, strength 
and beauty are in his sanctuary. Where are all the 
shining sons of honour now, all the men of fame ? 
Ah ! they are wrapt up in midnight darkness, while 
the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of their 
Father. With what envious eye, and angry heart, 
did our haters, who accounted us the refuse and ofF- 
scouring of all things, see us in our princely robes, 
and royal apparel, mount our thrones by divine com- 
mand, to judge impenitent men, and apostate angels ? 
How could we ever complain of being hated of all 
men for thy sake ? Why did we ever think much of 
the most cruel mockings, of the calumniating lip, or 
slandering tongue ? Even then we were more than 
recompensed by the testimeny of a good conscience, 
and tokens of peace from the eternal throne. But, 
O ! what a reward is this, that the ridicule of a few 
days should be repaid with ineffable renown in the 
sight of all the angels of God, through all the days 
of eternity ! This is the true and triumphant state of 
glory. O ! what is it to reign on high with the King 
of kings ! to sit down with him on his throne for all 
ages, and never be degraded from that divine dignity ! 

O eternity ! once the comfort of our longing ex- 
pectations, now the transport of our enlarged souls ! 
For we are ever with the Lord, seeing his unclouded 
face, wearing his divine name, drinking at the streams 



MISCELLANEOUS MEDITATIONS. 369 

of his pleasures, eating of his hidden manna, sitting 
beneath the tree of life, basking under the beams of 
the Sun of Righteousness, singing hallelujahs to him 
that loved us, that washed us in his blood, and brought 
us hither, sharing in his dominions, and dividing the 
spoil, for the lame sjiare the prey with the almighty 
Conqueror. Here we dwell in God, and he in us ; 
we know his love, are transformed into his glorious 
likeness, and made partakers of his divine nature. O 
state of complete happiness, and consummate bliss, 
only to be apprehended in the possession, known in 
the enjoyment, and understood in its eternal duration ! 
Now the day has broken, the shadows fled away, and 
all is eternal noon ! Not a desire I had, but, larger 
than its dimensions, is fulfilled ; nor a request, but, 
more than it contained, is granted ; and all my goul 
is satisfied and replenished with the divine plenitude 
of thy superabundant goodness. 

Come, my Beloved, let us hold the most intimate 
communion ; here will I give thee my loves. Blegs- 
ed 1 1 What glories blize ! what wonders rise! what 
ardours glow within ! All is light and glory, all joy 
and exultation ! all is transport and praise, all aston- 
ishment and wonder ! all is vision and likeness, all 
fruition and satisfaction ! all is God I God and the 
Lamb are all in all, to all the heavenly nations, through 
ages all. — Amen. 



THE END. 



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